Harry Potter And The Lycanthrope Legacy Part 1
by Ravenclaw Midnight Blue
Summary: A fateful encounter with Lord Voldemort - and that's just the prelude to Harry's 8th, dramatic year at Hogwarts! Find out what happens, after one of Harry's friends is bitten by a werewolf... not DH compliant
1. Chapter 1

_**Harry Potter And The Lycanthrope Legacy**_

Foreword

'Legacy' 'Anything left by will, bequest, thing handed down to successor'

And 'Lycanthorpe'? Well, that will become clear in time!

Author's Notes

Obviously, I don't own any of the characters created by J. K. Rowling. This is a speculative, 'alternative-universe', story which taps into the world of Harry Potter.

However, any previously-unknown characters – which Harry Potters fans will find a few of in these pages – are of my own making. Also, I have sometimes used elements from the films – for example, I've described Hogwarts as being near to both the Black Lake AND a larger loch.

This story is initially set at the end of Harry's 7th year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft (so NOT Deathly Hallows compliant). For the purposes of this tale, as far as the official book series goes, the events of books 1-6 are 'true'. Professor Snape is now dead (fate not described, as I had not yet read The Deathly Hallows when I wrote the vast majority of this story). Instead of dropping out of his 7th school year, Harry decided to stay on after the events of The Half-Blood Prince, being granted time out of school by Professor McGonnagall now and then in order to seek and destroy most of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Other items of note, are:

Draco Malfoy has firmly committed himself as a faithful Death Eater.

Since the end of the previous school year, Harry has tried to avoid becoming too emotionally involved with Ginny. Having already lost a number of loved ones, Harry has decided to keep his friends – but he cannot allow himself any closer relationships, until the war against You-Who-Know is finally over.

After months of planning, Lord Voldemort has finally launched his invasion of Hogwarts – to destroy his marked equal (Harry) and his other enemies at the school! His Death Eater army – including Draco – have stormed the castle.

Now read on…

**Chapter One: The Day Of Reckoning**

Harry Potter held back a cry of pain, as he slowly pulled himself upright, using the support of the damaged wall behind him. Still on his knees, he wiped away the running sweat and blood on his face – wincing at the cuts and bruises he could now feel throbbing, as his senses returned.

For a long moment, he was disorientated. The air around Hogwarts Castle rang with screams and frantic yells. Here and there, the bodies of the fallen lay strewn around, in unnatural angles – their frozen expressions and terror-glazed eyes confirming the brutal fact that everyone else of this sector of the battlefield was dead.

As his hearing returned to normal, Harry shakingly felt underneath his school robes – reassuring himself that his wand was still intact, tucked as it was behind his belt, at his hip. His head cleared, and his mind sharpened once more, in response to the urgency of the situation.

The expected – and dreaded – confirmation with Lord Voldemort and his army had finally come.

The Death Eaters (Voldemort's wizard servants) and their allies were now gathered, to finally crush the forces of good at Hogwarts.

Somewhere within the school, Ron, Hermione, and Harry's other friends – plus the staff – were currently fighting for their very lives against the enemy hordes.

The number of casualties of both sides were continuing to mount up – although Harry had already born witness to two Death Eaters dying, he had also already seen Professor Grubbly-Plank blasted down by a Death Eater. And several boys and girls – the Creevey brothers amongst them – had been burnt to cinders by the flying dragon, which bore two riders on its back. The first of them was the rear seat passenger – Peter Pettigrew. The other was Lord Voldemort himself, laughing gleefully as his huge reptilian steed set about destroying the castle and those within, with claws, slashing tail, and burning breath.

The dragon was none other than Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini, transformed by advanced sorcery. Harry had learned of this disturbing news, via an advanced warning shared with him by Professor Moody. He, in turn, had learnt of Voldemort's latest experiment, from gathered intelligence. To add further insult to Harry (if that was possible), Voldemort had reformed Nagini into a Hungarian Horntail – the same type of dragon Harry had to outwit in the TriWizard's Tournament, over three years ago.

Harry gritted his teeth at the challenge awaiting him. Nagini was the last remaining of Voldemort's Horcruxes. In order to the Dark Lord to perish – his pet had to die, as she contained a portion of her master's soul.

There had been another death that Harry had seen, minutes ago – and which had shocked him further. Cho Chang had been standing in one of the wooden walkways leading to the main school building, along with a couple of other pupils, when Nagini lashed out with her tail, smashing the platform as though it had been a stack of matches.

On the ground, and watching from a short distance away, Harry had been unable to save the students in time from plummeting to their deaths.

But despite the tears in his eyes, and the burning urge to sprint straight for Nagini, the voice of reason in Harry's head made him stop. Instead, he had turned and ran – using what cover he could – as he made his way over to Hagrid's hut.

The only way of diverting Voldemort away from his destructive spree was to get out into the open. And Harry saw to this by mounting Buckbeak, the Hippogriff, and taking off into the cloudy, grey afternoon sky.

Taking off, Harry had shouted out to Voldemort, challenging the Dark Lord. As expected, the murderer of Harry's parents had taken the bait, giving chase by steering Nagini round, in an attempt to turn The-Boy-Who-Lived and the Hippogriff into roasted sky confetti.

Buckbeak gave the opposition a merry dance, avoiding the dragon's flames. And, at the opportune moment, Harry loosened his prepared Firebolt from its strap around Buckbeak – and then taken off.

A surprised Voldemort then realized he had _two_ targets to worry about. As he chased after Harry, an enraged Buckbeak closed in and slashed at the dragon's back with his claws and beak.

Peter Pettigrew – alternatively known at Wormtail – had screamed, and panicked too much to effectively strike out with his wand against the Hippogriff. The minute that followed was a confusion of aerial twists, frantic magical blasts of whizzing energy, dragon flames, and airborne sprays of blood.

In the end, Buckbeak and Nagini had brought about the doom of each other, as Voldemort desperately fought with both hands on the reins, to control his plummeting pet. The Hippogriff fell to earth, aflame – and Nagini crashed against the canopy of the Forbidden Forest, dislodging a wailing Wormtail – before pitching forwards with an almighty _splash_ into the Black Lake close to the castle, taking the Dark Lord with it, as they sank out of sight.

Harry had managed to see this uplifting spectacle – before the burning of the hairs on his broomstick alerted him to the fact that Voldemort's dragon had managed to score some damage on him, after all.

He had screamed then, fearing the worst – and directed the Firebolt towards the ground. In the end, Harry crash-landed against the outer wall of the castle…

Back in the present moment, his senses fully alert, Harry Potter cast a couple of spells to help his battered body knit together. Then, he got back up and took in the edge of the battlefield around him.

There was no visible opposition, but on the ground just within the border of the Forbidden Forest, close to the shore of the lake, he glimpsed Buckbeak lying motionless on his side, feathers aflame.

Wiping aside the tears in his eyes, Harry tested his legs, then – wand at the ready - raced downhill towards the lake, heart pounding at the thought that Voldemort might finally be dead. He had to be sure!

He was making his way en route through the edge of the forest, when he found himself yards away from the Hippogriff's burning body. Harry paused, and then managed to tear his eyes away from the ghastly sight, when a hoarse voice rang out.

"_Stupefy!"_

Harry cried out, as a magical blast struck him out of nowhere. It was not a direct hit, as he had twisted to one side, in an attempt to dive for cover. Nevertheless, he fell, his shoulder stinging from the stunning spell – and his wand dropped out of reach.

I'll be dead if I don't get it…, he thought to himself.

"No boy! Stay right there!"

Harry looked up. He had been ambushed by Peter Pettigrew. Voldemort's lackey didn't look too good – he was bruised and bleeding from the injuries sustained from his too-close encounter with the trees. He was also bent over, in pain.

"You!" Harry spat. "All right, then. Are you going to kill me, Peter!?"

Wormtail's eyes clouded with anger. "What have you done…with the Master?"

"He's in the lake! Hopefully, he's forgotten how to do the breast stroke – and has already taken his last breath!!"

The little man glanced at the nearby lake, then raised his wand again at Harry. His right hand was made of silver – and Harry shuddered as he remembered the evening when (and the reason why) Pettigrew had sacrificed his hand.

"I should kill you for that, but…the Master has survived near-death before. If he's still alive…," Wormtail wheezed, "…he'll want to strike the final blow down on you himself. He told me so…"

"So my saving your life…, four years ago, means nothing – doesn't it!?" Harry retorted angrily. "Sirius wanted to kill you for framing him for murder, and for betraying your friends to Voldemort. My parents died because of what you set into motion! And you slaughtered Cedric!! I should have let Sirius cut you down! Then your precious master would've remained a shapeless lump. We wouldn't be here, fighting. No one would be dying in this _stupid_ war – if you hadn't gone running, looking for your murderous, mouldy Voldy, you toad!"

Pettigrew flinched, and looked taken aback by the fury of Harry's verbal assault. Then he smiled. "Yes, you did save my life… And thanks to you, Harry, the world will be a better place, once it has bowed down – in its entirety – before the Dark Lord."

"Thank you for your loyalty, Wormtail!"

A chill ran through Harry's bones, and he shot his face round to take in the newcomer. The bald, ghastly, snake-like visage of Voldemort was coming into view, as he limped up the grassy slope towards them, now just yards away. His dark cloak was soaked, and there were cuts and bruises on the pale flesh surrounding the furious red eyes. Nevertheless, he laughed upon seeing Harry's terrified expression.

"Yes, Harry. Nagini was claimed by the lake…and its watery residents, but I survived – just. Now, let's finish this!"

"Glad to hear your last Horcrux is gone, then!" Harry spat defiantly. If he was about to die, then he would squeeze every drop of pleasure he could out of Voldemort's weakened state.

There was a sneer on the pained, inhuman features regarding him. "So you knew all about the Horcruxes…! Damn you… But you have still failed to destroy me! I'll make sure Horcruxes after today… Your death will give me the energy for my first… Maybe I'll hide it in you! After I've resurrected you as an Inferious…" The thought made Voldemort laugh – it was a slow, raspy gloat of pure evil that made Harry break out into a cold sweat. His hands shook as he slowly edged closer and closer to his wand…

Voldemort's mind stabbed into Harry's, making him cry out. But Harry was now more versed in shielding his mind from the effects of the usually-dormant, psychic link between them. With a mighty effort, he shut down the barrier in his head – cutting his enemy off.

His opponent's eyes widened in surprise. Then he hissed his anger, and switched tactics.

"_Avada__ Kedavra__!" _the soft, thin voice spat.

A jet of green light from Voldemort's wand slammed into Harry, before he could snatch his own wand. He yelled, and felt himself flying, at an angle, through the air. He crashed into a tree, and bounced back down to the ground, down to the world.

Voldemort laughed in satisfaction, as he regarded the sight of his nemesis' prone, broken body. "At last…! Urr!!" He coughed suddenly, spitting up blood.

"Master?" Peter Pettigrew stepped forward.

"Too many injuries, Wormtail…! The impact of the trees… The crash-landing…" the Dark Lord hissed.

Pettigrew hobbled over to him, agitated. "No! You can't die now! You've just killed the infamous Harry Potter! Surely…I can help you, my Lord?"

Voldemort opened his pained eyes. "Yes… Yes, you can, Wormtail." Then he pointed his wand at his servant and quickly cast another spell.

Wormtail screamed as he was immobilized by a _dark_ ray of light from his master's wand. His face and body dried up and shriveled – his life force being sucked away, and transferred to Voldemort.

The smaller man's mouth dropped open beneath his now-ashen face. With a shocked expression frozen on his features, Peter Pettigrew pitched forward to the ground.

The Dark Lord flexed his neck and body with a dreamy expression, as he luxuriated in the rush of his new-found energy.

"You…_monster!!_"

Voldemort shot his face round. He hissed, taken aback. Harry had now retrieved his wand, and had been about to use it, when his shocked outburst had betrayed him.

"_You…! How!?"_

"Magical armour of protection, Snakeface!" Harry tore apart his ruined shirt, to reveal the breastplate fitted to his torso. "One of the special projects the new Headmaster had been working on, recently. Your spell just knocked me out a bit!"

Harry walked gingerly – and somewhat unsteadily – to his left. His heart was pounding madly. The next minute – or the next few seconds – would be crucial, he told himself. He had a vague plan, and right now he wanted Voldemort to be in-between him and the burning pyre that was Buckbeak…

The two opponents were mere yards apart. Voldemort watched Harry carefully with slit-like eyes, wand tip at the ready. It was just them alone, now. No reinforcements within sight to arrive upon the scene.

The continuing cries of battle rang out from within and around Hogwarts, on the light breeze…

"You know the prophecy, Harry," Voldemort rasped. "And yet, despite the destruction of my Horcruxes, you cannot hope to kill me. You don't have the heart for it!"

"Just try me!" Harry yelled back.

The tension in the air around them thickened.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"_Protego!"_

With impeccable timing, Harry's spell struck Voldemort's halfway between them, just like three years before – due to the fact that their wands were fashioned from feathers belonging to the same phoenix. Voldemort laughed gleefully as he held onto his wand with both hands, willing his magic to overcome Harry's. The beams of energy interlinked, creating an electric-like display of crackling arcs that licked at the air between the two combatants.

"You are so predictable, boy! I have not forgotten the link between our wands! But I have just acquired Wormtail's life-force – whilst you are weary. Soon, your magic will pale before mine, and you will be no more!!" Voldemort roared.

Harry gritted his teeth. No! He would not give in now! He would fight back with all the strength in him. He owed it to his parents, to Cedric Diggory, and to Professor Dumbledore, not to fail…

Harry grunted with exertion as he fought to hold his wand steady. He began to despair, seeing the intersection of magic energies edge closer and closer to him, as his efforts started to falter before the Dark Lord's relentless, sustained attack…

Then a figure rose behind Voldemort. In the next instant, it seized Harry's enemy around the mouth and neck, and jerked him off-balance.

"What-hummph!? Get oopphh mee!!" Voldemort's muffled voice was still loud, as he tried to break free of Peter Pettigrew.

Wide-eyed, Harry managed to take in the pitiful expression on Wormtail's face.

"I served you faithfully!" he wailed to the Dark Lord. "And yet you tried to kill me… I will take no more abuse! YOU HEAR ME? No more!!" And with that, Pettigrew managed to twist his master's wand towards the two of them.

The intersection of magical forces was broken, and Harry quickly redirected his spell harmlessly to the ground. Meanwhile, there was a green blast of light, and Wormtail was sent flying through the air. Voldemort's wand went with him – Pettigrew had managed to pluck it out of his master's grip with his last act of defiance.

Voldemort slipped, and groggily got back upon his feet. He leapt for his wand.

"_Accio wand!"_

Both Harry and the Dark Lord were taken aback by the sight of the wand flying towards a tree, from where a newcomer's voice had sounded out of the blue.

"_Petrolio!"_

Harry let fire with an unusual spell. Voldemort bellowed as he was splattered with a jet of an oily-like substance. Spinning round, he found himself hurtled, at speed, straight into the still-burning remains of Buckbeak.

"YAAHH!!"

The Dark Lord swiftly became a beacon of light, as the inflammable liquid on his robes caught fire. He fell, somersaulting over, on the other side of the dead Hippogriff – and waved his arms in the air, rolling over the ground at the same time, in a desperate bid to escape his fate.

"AAAGGGHHH!! AAAGGGHHH!!!"

In a matter of seconds, it was all over. Voldemort's piercing screams died away, and the flames licked greedily at his still body.

Harry collapsed upon his knees, crying tears of relief. He felt shocked to be still alive.

Then he remembered he wasn't alone.

"Harry!"

"Her-mi-on-nay…!" he gasped in a weak voice.

Hermione Granger ran over to Harry, and flung her arms around him. "You've done it!! Oh, thank God! You're alive!!"

"With a little help from you, it seems…! Thanks for that timely fetching spell."

She smiled. "You're welcome. It was a split-second moment of sheer guts on my part. I was petrified… Oh, Harry…"

Eventually, the two Gryffindors got up. Hermione supported Harry as they regarded their enemy's corpse, which was already dissolving – his unnaturally-prolonged life now crumbling, as time caught up with it. Peter Pettigrew, meanwhile, was sprawled nearly - dead as a result of taking the impact of Voldemort's last spell, meant for Harry.

Harry reached down and closed the sightless eyes. The Ministry of Magic would need to see the body later, he reflected. So that the wizarding world would know for sure that Pettigrew had faked his own death, years ago. "Than you, Peter…" Harry swallowed. "You eventually paid off your debt to me, after all."

He straightened up and retrieved Voldemort's wand from where it had fallen.

"Harry…, what are you doing now?"

"Putting the past to rest," he answered Hermione's question, as he tossed the wand onto the pyre of Buckbeak's body. The wand gradually blackened and cracked, turning to cinders in the blaze. One by one, vague phantom shapes arose from it, and dissolved. Hermione gasped. They both saw Harry's parents appear together, smiling at them both – before they too vanished, along with the rest of Voldemort's victims, including Peter Pettigrew.

There was now an aura of peace in the air, as though invisible clouds had been lifted.

"You saw the fight…?" Harry asked aloud.

Hermione nodded. "As I ran over. I wasn't able to intervene until that moment I performed the fetching spell with…You-Know-Who's wand…"

Harry nodded. "Thanks again for that… What about the others? Is the fighting still…?"

"That's why I came over to find you, Harry. The battle's over! We've won! Several of us were holding our own against Fenrir Greyback and his werewolf pack. Professor Lupin was fighting them, in his beast-form. The last of the werewolves have been driven off… There are casualties on both sides. But…"

Harry's heart sank as he read his friend's anguished expression. "What is it, Hermione?" He squeezed her shoulders.

"Ginny's been badly injured, Harry! In the melee, Professor Lupin accidently bit her!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Aftermath**

The Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle, and the corridors close to it, was strewn with the bodies of the injured and the fallen. In this part of the school, the werewolf pack led by the lycanthropic Fenrir Greyback, had struck – and they had hit hard.

Harry, one arm still wrapped around Hermione's shoulder as she helped him on, took in the tired faces of the lightly-wounded. Their troubled expressions lifted somewhat as they saw Harry – injured, and with his school robes baring tears - hobbling along to where a small crowd had gathered. Both Harry and Hermione regarded the broken, overturned tables where the House pupils gathered, and they stepped around the dead, half-human werewolves who had invaded the hall – their lives taken by fire, swords, magic – and even a few well-aimed blessed bullets (courtesy of a couple of quick-acting teachers).

The crowd parted for the newcomers, and the two friends entered the ring that had formed around the school's werewolf resident, Professor Lupin (the re-instated joint Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher). He was in human form once more, and half-dressed in shirt and trousers, though lacking shoes and socks. Lupin and an anxious-looking Luna Lovegood, were treating the half-conscious Ginny Weasley.

Professor Lupin felt Ginny's pulse, then sighed with relief. He glanced across to the girl's youngest brother, Ron, who was crouched nearby.

"It's alright, Ron," he declared in his usual, nasal tone-of-voice. "Your sister will be fine. Let's get her to the school hospital. Can you help us?"

Ron nodded, his face still ashen. He gave Ginny a quick hug, and she smiled weakly in response, squeezing his arm in turn.

Suddenly, they all realized who had joined them. Both Ginny and Luna looked extremely relieved and happy to see Harry.

Professor Lupin smiled, and for a few moments the worry lines in his face vanished. Earlier, he had warned Harry about the dangers of confronting Voldemort. Meanwhile, Ron beamed, got up, and squeezed his friend by the shoulders.

"I was afraid we wouldn't see you alive, again, Harry," he confessed. "The enemy's ran off from the school grounds, from what we've heard. What about…You-Know-Who? Did he face you?"

"He did. And he nearly killed me," Harry confessed. Then he allowed himself a grin. "But he'll never hurt anyone ever again!"

"You mean…!?"

"Yes, Ron. He's dead! At long last!" Briefly, Harry related what happened. Hermione added her account of the battle.

"Wo-wow! WOW!!" Ron punched the air. "YES! YYYEEESSS!!" Beside him, Ginny managed to smile at the news.

The gathered crowd began whispering amongst themselves, then let out an almighty cheer. The pupils jumped up and down, and hugged each other for joy. Professor Lupin beamed, ruffled Harry's hair, and shook his hand.

"Well done, Harry! Excellent work!"

Others hugged Harry, or exchanged a high-five with him. Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, the Patil sisters, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan, Stewart Ackerley of Ravenclaw…, and so on.

Eventually, Ron, Luna and Lupin got Ginny to the school hospital – the joyous crowds parting for them, as Harry and Hermione followed behind.

After many minutes of being mobbed by the surviving pupils, they finally got to the hospital.

* * * * *

With confirmation that the battle was definitely over, Ginny was treated in an over-packed ward. She was lucky. Due to the numbers of both staff and pupils requiring treatment, Professor Flitwick – who had taken charge as the Headmaster from Professor McGonnagall's caretaker stint of the previous summer – ordered as many rooms to be converted into makeshift wards, as was possible. Also, for volunteers to help the school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, treat the injured. The more serious cases – such as the victims of the Nagini-dragon - who'd been singed, or hit by falling masonry, were treated as priorities.

As a result of the chaotic commotion, Harry didn't get to see much of Ginny. He managed to squeeze her hand, and she had whispered a weak "Thank you", before one of the nurses drew the curtain rail around her bed, before preparing magic – along with Professor Lupin – to help treat the sixth form girl.

Hermione escorted a silent and anxious-looking Ron outside, so that they could get some fresh air, and mentally recover from the impact of the last hour. Meanwhile, Luna took Harry to one side.

"Get some rest, Harry. You look shattered," she advised in her soft Irish brogue, as she dabbed antiseptic cotton wool on the cut near his scar. "You deserve it! We all owe you a huge debt!"

He nodded in acknowledgement. If he didn't get to his bed quickly, he might well collapse and fall asleep on the spot. "What about you, Luna?"

"I'll help out in the hospital. Don't worry about me." She glanced across to where someone was crying.

They turned and saw a boy weeping, close by. Harry stiffened as he realized it was Alexander Greenway – a sixth-former, from Slytherin House. They Slytherins, of course, were regarded by Harry and his Gryffindor friends as a bad lot.

Though it was true that Horace Slughorn, who had taken over from Professor Snape as both Potions Master and head of Slytherin House, had proved his worth as a defender of the school (and was actually friendly to Harry) – Harry hadn't changed his opinions when it came to the Slytherin pupils. Draco Malfoy, who took delight in bullying Harry and his immediate circle ever since they all started Hogwarts together in the same year, was of this House. So too had been Voldemort and his supporters, including Draco's father, Lucius. From experience, Harry had learned never to trust a Slytherin pupil.

And, of course, Harry's most hated teacher, Severus Snape, had been head of Slytherin – until he'd deserted the school on the night that Professor Dumbledore had died, taking Draco Malfoy with him. Now Snape himself had perished, only a week ago. He had died in a clash between Voldemort's supporters and their opponents – the Order of the Phoenix.

Half of the older Slytherin students, Harry had now been told, had started to turn on their fellow pupils when today's battle had begun. And although Draco Malfoy was no longer a pupil of the school, his seventh year cronies – including Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson – in Slytherin House had led the uprising.

As shocking as this turn of events most to most, the more astute staff had anticipated such a move. Before too much damage could be caused, the uprising had been defeated, even as the Battle of Hogwarts was being fought.

At first, Harry was of the opinion that the Slytherins only had themselves to blame if some of their number had been killed in the crossfire of the furious fighting. Then he bit his lip, scolding himself. En route to the Great Hall, Hermione had told him that despite the shock of the rebelling students attacking their fellow pupils, there had been several Slytherins who had joined the other Houses in opposing the insurgency. Alex Greenway was one of those who had sided with Hogwarts, Harry now remembered.

He and Luna took a few steps towards Alex, who was slumped over a girl lying on one of the hospital beds. The young lady – another Slytherin pupil – was black, and of Caribbean origin. Harry recalled that her name was Yasmin N'Diaye.

Or rather it had been. The girl's skin and torn school robes were coated with a layer of dust, and there were numerous bruises on her skull and legs. Trails of blood from her nose and mouth had worked their way down her jaw and neck before drying.

It was obvious, from looking at the unmoving Yasmin, that she was dead.

"Alex…" Luna called softly to him. "I'm so sorry for your loss… What happened?"

The light brown-haired youth glanced up at her and wiped aside his tears. "We…we had just repelled two Dementors that chased after our group…in the library. Then Draco Malfoy slipped in…behind our backs, through another door. He cast a spell on the bookshelves…, caused them to fall over… Most of us leapt aside…- but Yasmin was trapped! We fought back with our wands… Drove him out of the room. And we brought Yasmin here, once we…managed to get her out from underneath the shelves… But her injuries were too great…!" Alex slammed his fist into the wall next to the bed. "Dammit – Malfoy! Why did you have to take away the only person that I loved!?"

"Malfoy came back!? He was amongst the Death Eaters?" Harry kept his voice low. He exchanged a glance with Luna, who seemed to be just as disturbed as he felt.

"Yeah… Dressed in black – just like the rest of them…" Alex spat, in reply. "And Crabbe and Goyle were besides him, firing off spells at us – trying to cut us down."

Now Harry realized that he _did _feel sorry for these Slytherins. The Caribbean girl on the bed was but one fallen statistic in the battle they had won. And yet, ultimately, it didn't matter what House she was from. It could have been one of his friends lying there, instead of someone he hardly knew – eyes closed to the world.

It could've been Ginny…

Harry briefly rested his hand on Alex's shoulder. The two of them had never exchanged pleasantries before – but that didn't matter. "You have my sympathy, as well as Luna's," he added.

"Yeah…" Alex's lips twitched. "Well. I know you've suffered the loss of…certain people…in your life, Potter."

Harry nodded stiffly. "What happened to Malfoy and the others?"

"Professors Moody and McGonnagall came to our rescue, by banishing the Dementors. Crabbe and Goyle, though, slipped through the net." Alex shook with rage, as he considered his next words. "And that scum, Malfoy, got away too!"

* * * * *

On the way to Gryffindor Tower – taking a long route round the devastation present – Harry swallowed hard as he slowly walked over to the broken wooden walkway where he had seen Cho fall to her death.

The soft ground where he came to a halt was littered with three other broken bodies. Two – a boy and a girl – were Ravenclaw friends of Cho. The third, Harry noticed with some surprise, was Millicent Bulstrode, of Slytherin House. The horrified expression on her face, mirroring the ones on Cho and the other Ravenclaw pupils, suggested that she had been just as terrified by the group's last moments – catching sight of the Nagini dragon lashing out with her tail, and bringing about their doom.

The wands of Bullstrode and the Ravenclaws lay near to their bodies. They had been prepared to fight at the end, though it had done them no good.

_Was Millicent part of the Slytherin uprising? Was she about to kill Cho and her friends – or was she just as innocent as them?_ Harry asked himself, as he shakingly reached out and closed the wide eyes of all four of the group.

_I guess I'll never know…_

A few survivors were now milling over from the rest of the castle. Hagrid was with them.

"Harry!"

He turned round and managed to smile. "Hagrid!"

The half-giant groundsman and Keeper of Keys bounded over to him, taking long strides. They hugged each other, in relief.

"Thank god yur alive, Harry!" He looked back to where Harry's gaze had been. "Poor Miss Chang! And the rest of 'em. I'm sorry, lad. I know tha' you 'ad feelings for 'er, once. Too many died today." Hagrid squeezed Harry's shoulder warmly.

"She was my first crush… I felt I was in love with her, Hagrid." Harry swallowed. "I'm glad her murderer's now in hell. The one ultimately responsible for all of this…," he muttered. He stepped forward and bent down to feel Cho's pale face once more. He kissed her on the cheek, and blinked back the tears that were welling up. "Goodbye, Cho. Give my regards to Cedric. I hope the two of you together will find the happiness that was denied to you, here."

"Amen to tha'," Hagrid added.

Suddenly, Harry turned and hugged him again. As best as a lanky teenager could hug a half-giant, anyway. Hagrid held him close – and all at once, Harry felt as though he was an eleven-year old boy, again.

"I'm glad you survived, Hagrid…"

"Easy, lad. At least the nightmare's over. I…I know about Buckbeak, Harry. Still, good job I sent Grawp away in the mountains to look after 'imself. He would hav' bin terrified by wha' happened here today."

Harry nodded, remembering Hagrid's full-blooded giant of a brother, who wasn't very bright by human standards.

Hagrid stepped back and ruffled Harry's hair. "Well." The groundsman's lips twitched upwards. "I guess there'll be no more Vol…Voldemort…from now on…"

"Too right!" Harry replied. He recalled the horrified expression on his nemesis' face, as he was propelled into Buckbeak's burning remains. Remembered the blazing figure of the man who had killed his parents, and been responsible (however indirectly) for killing Cho and Cedric. A man who had killed so many…

Harry wished that there were still time turners available. The Ministry of Magic had kept over a few – magical devices that enabled the user to travel a few hours back in time. On too many occasions, Harry had wanted to use one again – to undo some of the decisions he'd made. Decisions that had led to Lord Voldemort regaining power, and causing the deaths of Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, and many others.

But in the past year, Harry and his friends had learnt from Ron's dad what happened to the time turners. Working in the Ministry, Mr Weasley had found out not long after the 'resurrection' of Voldemort, three years ago, that there had been a raid – by unknown persons – on the Ministry building used to store the devices. Although the raid had failed, the then Minister of Magic – Cornelius Fudge – feared the likelihood of another attempt to steal the time turners, and so had ordered them destroyed.

This meant that neither side in the war against Lord Voldemort could use the turners. Whatever happened, could not be undone.

Harry cast his eyes over the damaged walls of the castle, and the broken bodies scattered close by. A historical quote arose, unbidden, in his mind. Something the Duke of Wellington had once said, after the significant battle at Waterloo.

'_The saddest thing next to a battle lost, is a battle won…'_

* * * * *

Harry was woken up by Ron's persistent shaking, some time later. He groaned, raised his head from the bed, and saw that the time was about eight o'clock in the evening.

"I've been asleep too long! Thanks, Ron."

"That's okay, Harry. Guess I would be shattered if I'd just survived a showdown with Voldemort, too! Anyway, Professor Lupin and Tonks have asked to see you, me, and 'Mione, in the Professor's room. To discuss Ginny…"

His heart thumping, Harry studied his friend's pensive face. "How…? How is she, Ron?"

"She'll survive the bite-wound. That's all Madame Pomfrey told me."

Giving a sigh of relief, Harry (who was still dressed in his school clothes) slipped on his robes, and reached for his shoes. "Right – let's get going."

Ron stopped him by lightly resting a restraining hand of him. "Wait a mo', Harry. I wanted to talk, man-to-man… I know you wanted to distance yourself from Ginny, whilst Vol-Voldemort had you down as a marked target. But now that… You-Know-Who is out of the picture… How do you feel about my sister, now?"

Harry paused and thought that over, then he finally managed to return Ron's gaze. "I've still got feelings for her, Ron. There's no one else, as far as I'm concerned. Cho's been out of my system for a while…"

"I heard that Cho's…" Ron bit his lip, wondering if Harry knew or not.

He nodded. "She's dead, Ron. I saw her die… And the thought that Ginny could've died as well… Despite the fact I've had to have a hard heart since losing Sirius and Dumbledore… She still gave me moral support during the course of the last year, when I couldn't bare to go on anymore with this dumb war… Hell – I want to be there for Ginny, whatever the circumstances! If she had died…it would have torn me apart! I want me and her to get together again, and celebrate! How do you feel…about that? How would Ginny feel – having me back?"

Ron slowly grinned. "I think that's the second best news I've heard all day, Harry! Of course I'd approve of it if you two wanted to get together again! I reckon my sister wouldn't hesitate for a moment at the chance!"

"Thanks, Ron."

They smiled at each other, and savoured the moment as best friends do. Then Ron started to fidget. "We'd better get moving."

"Sure thing." Harry got fully dressed, and the two young men left the bedroom.

* * * * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sat in the dungeon-level study belonging to Professor Lupin. Since the departure of Professor Snape last year, Lupin had been re-offered the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts tutor. He had taken it on, subject to sharing the post with Professor Alistor Moody. With this flexibility, the two men could alternate between school and Ministry business, and they had used the arrangement to keep a closer guard against the activities of Voldemort and his followers.

As part of Lupin's re-employment, he had taken over Professor Snape's set of rooms.

Harry shuddered, as he stared at a black stain blasted onto one of the walls. It was all that remained of the Dementor that had entered this room, in order to kill Professor Lupin, in the early stages of the Battle of Hogwarts. But the Professor had lashed out with a powerful, and new, magical concoction he'd been experimenting with. It had destroyed the hellish creature. After that close call, Lupin had gone on the offensive – using first of all his wand against the Death Eaters, before transforming into a fully-fledged wolf, to tackle Fenrir Greyback and his invading werewolf pack.

In a way, Harry considered, Hogwarts had been lucky. Voldemort had not amassed all of the forces he had been believed to possess. There had been no giants, and only a few Dementors. In fact, a host of Dementors had been wiped out in an earlier battle – the one that had claimed the life of Professor Snape. During the conflict, an unbeatable wand – which Voldemort had been eager to acquire – had been used to cast forth a powerful magical force which destroyed the black wraiths.

The wand had also been destroyed, in the magical backlash.

Voldemort escaped that battle – but now he had finally paid for his sins.

Harry refocused his attention on those who were presently with him. Professor Lupin, sitting on the opposite side of his desk from the Gryffindor trio, was now dressed in an old brown suit and corduroy trousers, complete wit an off-white shirt and green tie. Presently flanking him were two people. One was Nymphadora Tonks, the young Animagus, who special relationship was now known to Harry and his friends. Tonks, as she preferred to be called, still had the strange habit of her hair changing colour, in tandem with her mood. Right now, it was displaying her usual, unruly, mousy-brown locks.

Also present was the current headmaster – the vertically-challenged Professor Flitwick, who was sat on a stool and keenly listening to Professor Lupin's account as to how, as a wolf, he'd ended up biting Ginny Weasley. Flitwick – Harry was glad to note – had reverted in recent months, back to the white-haired and short-bearded appearance he had presented some years ago. He had also improved on his choice of clothes – his current attire being blue wizarding robes and a matching waistcoat, along with a white tunic and dark trousers and shoes. Harry had thought the dyed black hair and stripped trousers Flitwick had displayed on occasion made him look rather ridiculous. Now he was more presentable as the headmaster of Hogwarts – having proven himself to be a more shrewd leader than many would have expected.

"…I leapt for Greyback, in order to stop his king spree of the pupils," Lupin announced, in his rather nasal, north England, tones. "You saw for yourself how chaotic things were in the Great Hall, Ron. Greyback saw me coming, and rolled aside. I couldn't avoid crashing into Ginny, and my gaping jaws sank into her raised arm. My claws added to her injuries… I'm sorry."

Ron managed to nod. "At least she'll recover. Just don't expect me to be happy about it! She's…infected…now, isn't she?"

Lupin sighed. "Yes. At the next full moon, Ginny will become a werewolf. To be more exact, she'll take on a half-wolf appearance. My curse for life, will be hers also. I can't apologise enough for what I've done, Ron."

"Remus, don't be so hard on yourself," Professor Flitwick addressed him. "If you hadn't fought Greyback's pack, werewolf-to-werewolf – and killed two of them in the process – there would have been more casualties amongst the pupils!"

"And what will happen to Ginny, when she has to…change?" Ron bristled. "The summer holidays will be coming soon. And the word will spread around school that my sister's no longer…entirely human… She'll be the brunt of discrimination! What if she escapes from any confinement my family provides for her, eh?"

"Ron! Calm down," Hermione admonished him.

There was silence in the room for a moment. Harry broke it.

"Professor Lupin… I didn't know you were able to transform all the way into a wolf… And of your own accord, too."

Tonks reached over and squeezed Lupin's hand. "Tell them, Remus," she urged him.

He bit his lip, then spoke up. "For the past year, with Tonk's help, I've decided to face…my problem…differently. As you youngsters know, I've tried to control the beast inside of me by drinking Professor Snape's concocted potions, which weakened my wolf during the full moon.

"Since that option no longer exists, and with the threat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters making it necessary for me to resume teaching here – Tonks and I have been conducting experiments. Instead of fighting the beast, I decided to accept it, instead. To integrate fully with it, and get my animal instincts to co-operate as much as possible with my developing human control during the nights of the full moon. In short, to turn my disadvantage into an advantage – and strive to be the best of being both man and wolf."

Hermione was leaning forward, her expression enraptured by what the Professor was saying.

"And you've made a breakthrough!" she exclaimed. "You transformed in the daylight today, and helped saved our lives, Professor!"

Lupin smiled sheepishly. He looked a little embarrassed by Hermione's praise. "I did what I could," he responded. "But yes, I'm now more in control of my other self. But I'm still obliged to be a wild creature when the moon is full. As a wolf man, or as a completely-formed wolf."

"And as Headmaster, I'm giving you the authority to do more to help the school, using your…special talents, Professor Lupin," Professor Flitwick announced. "From what I've been told, Fenrir Greyback panicked when word reached him on the battlefield that both Voldemort and Nagini had perished. Although some of the werewolves were killed by myself and other staff – many of the pack got away. Greyback included. Several of the Death Eaters evaded capture, also. And some of the rebellious Slytherin pupils are now missing. Pansy Parkinson, for one. I believe that having openly supported Lord Voldemort, only to hear of his unexpected fall, they have fled with those who they allied themselves with."

The half-goblin headmaster paused, then continued. "There is another matter which disturbs me, Remus. The jet crystal known as the Nightshadow. It was recently entrusted to the care of the castle by the Ministry – and now it has been stolen from Professor Moody's office."

Lupin gave a start, then narrowed his eyes in thought. "Now that you mention it, I do recall seeing Miss Parkinson slip into that room. I thought that she was hiding away from the fighting, but I was rather preoccupied with other matters to check on her."

"Ahh – that resolves that mystery!" Flitwick responded, with a chuckle.

"Isn't there a twin jewel that acts as the counter-balance to the Nightshadow…?" Lupin asked.

"The Solstice Star, yes. Luckily that was still secure in Alistor's office. Here it is!" Flitwick produced from the pocket of his electric blue-coloured waistcoat polished, milky quartz, that seemed to glow in the gaslight of the room.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron eyed it in admiration. Just by looking, it was obvious that there was something very magical about the stone.

The headmaster noted the reactions of the pupils, and smiled. He jumped down from his stool, still carrying the illuminated quartz.

"Now, it is possible that the Death Eaters will try to break into the school again – once they have recovered from the shock of losing their idolized leader. If so, they may try to get their hands on this," Professor Flitwick declared, pacing the floor. "I think you should all know what this crystal can do."

"Us three as well?" Harry raised an eyebrow, as he, Hermione, and Ron shared a look.

"Indeed, Mr Potter. Going on your past experience with fate, all three of you need to watch carefully. It might prove important one day… With your permission, Remus?"

"A demonstration?" Lupin was interested. "Please carry on, Headmaster!"

Professor Flitwick took position in a clear space in the study and placed the magical quartz on the floor, then turned round and magically conjured up a bare wooden hat stand into existence against the bare patch of stone wall.

Next, the headmaster redirected his wand towards the Solstice Star. He was now directly in-between it and the hat stand.

"_Incendrio!"_

With a flick of his wand, Flitwick cast his spell – then he quickly dived to one side and rolled across the floor. It was just as well he did. For barely a second or two after his spell struck the crystal, the Solstice Star glowed fiercely – then literally spat the spell back in the direction it had come from.

The magic slammed into the hat stand, and it burst into flame.

"Don't panic!" Professor Flitwick soon doused the fire with another spell.

"Now…" the headmaster began, as he resumed his seat and held the milky quartz in his hand before his stunned audience. "The Nightshadow crystal can enable the one who master it, to gain control of the wills of other people. It also protects the bearer against magical attack, by absorbing any incoming spell."

"Like a black hole?" Tonks put to the Professor.

"Exactly – yes!" He chuckled. "And the Solstice Star, as you have all just seen – has the opposite effect. It _rebounds_ spells aimed against it, or its bearer."

"Neat!" Ron's eyes widened.

"Astounding…!" Hermione whispered, her eyes shining brightly.

"If that fell into the hands of the Death Eaters, it would be bad," Harry remarked.

"Indeed. However, there is a known danger in having the two gems together," the headmaster added sagely. "If the two should ever actually make physical contact, their powers will violently collide and cancel each other out! Anyone in near-proximity to the gemstones will meet…a most unfortunate end!

"Now then… Onto other business," Flitwick announced, as he put the milky quartz back into his waistcoat pocket. "Naturally, I am worried about the Death Eaters still at large."

"They'll go to ground, Professor Flitwick," Harry declared, smiling. "They've lost their illustrious leaded – which will knock them for six."

"Quite so, Harry. But we need to track them all down, to end this war for good. And arrest, or – if necessary – kill them. We need a werewolf to hunt down Greyback's werewolves."

Lupin nodded. "You have my services, Headmaster."

"Thank you. But I want you to first take young Miss Weasley under your wing, and teach her the self-control you've learnt, Remus. If she's agreeable, she can become your apprentice in tracking down our enemies. When she's ready for such a task, of course."

Ron looked uncomfortable. But instead of arguing, he asked. "Anything we can do, Professor Flitwick?"

"Yes. Be there for your sister. And I don't want you to resent Professor Lupin for what happened to Miss Weasley. This was an accident. Apart from that…we need more Aurors to help track down the remaining Death Eaters at liberty."

Harry straightened up, interested. "I was thinking of taking on that career, Professor," he piped up.

"And me," Hermione confessed.

Ron's lips twitched upwards. "Count me in."

"As I thought. But you'll need to be trained. As there's the possibility that our enemies may strike here again, to avenge their wretched Lord, I'm prepared to offer training – from Professor Moody – to you three, at Hogwarts. Consider it an extended year of study. You'll be junior staff, in effect – and you can help the pupils learn defensive magic. Like you did two years ago. Interested?" The little headmaster smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Kidnapping**

For the most part, the summer holiday that year turned out to be one of the most rewarding times of Harry's young life. It wasn't, however, free from the touch of evil.

Before the holiday began, though, there was the matter of the services at school, which took place a week following on from what had officially come to be known as The Battle of Hogwarts.

The history teacher, Professor Binns, had been allocated the task of organizing the memorial gatherings for the fallen pupils. The order of the services was decided by the Heads of the Houses drawing lots. At each session, the dead of the House in question were, where possible, lined up in their coffins, in the Great Hall. All the pupils were obliged to attend every one of the services – Professor Flitwick wanted no one to opt out from paying their respects to any House they didn't like.

"In death, we are all united in defeat," the headmaster had sagely announced.

Hufflepuff had the first, dedicated session – followed immediately by Slytherin. The rebellious Slytherin students who had been captured were now locked up at the pleasure of the Ministry of Magic. Consequently, there was a reduced number of Slytherin pupils left at Hogwarts, compared to the other Houses. The Slytherins who were left were the surviving, non-insurgent crowds who'd managed to survive the battle. Harry watched, head slumped, as he stood with everyone else in the Great Hall, in their minute of silence. He felt sorry for Alex Greenway, who was silently weeping for his lost Yasmin. But he had no sympathy for the (few) dead Slytherins in their coffins who'd sided with the Death Eaters during the battle – and who had ended up being killed in the crossfire of the fighting.

As the ceremony continued, Harry thought about Blaise Zabini. The black Slytherin student had been retrieved from a demolished exterior wall of the school, amongst a group of three other pupils. Unlike the rest, he had been lucky to survive – but his injuries had caused him to slip into a coma. And consequently, he'd been transferred to the wizarding hospital – St. Mungo's – for special care. Like Millicent Bulstrode, no one left alive knew where Blaise's loyalties lay. The sullen young man had rarely spoken to any of the pupils outside of his house.

After a break, the services for the dead of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor came to pass. A now-recovered Ginny, who was standing next to Harry, took his hand as they stared at the various coffins of those they had known for so long. Cho Change, the Creevsley brothers, and others – all gone before their time.

After this day, the dead would be handed over to their parents – for the final, separate arrangements.

* * * * *

The exam schedule for June had been completely disrupted, of course – but the pupils would be marked and graded on their coursework alone, Professor Flitwick had decreed. And a week after the memorial services, a party was put on, unofficially, in Harry's honour – to celebrate the demise of Lord Voldemort. Harry got to dance with Ginny, once he'd got past the many young ladies who wanted a piece of him. And Harry wryly noticed that Ron had not only taken to the dance floor with Hermione, but that his dancing skills had improved. Not to mention the fact he was wearing a better suit than the one forced upon him by his mother, three-and-a-half years ago at the Ball.

* * * * *

Lucius Malfoy sniffed with disdain as he swept his eyes around the cellar. It had been dark - about sunset - when he descended the rough stone staircase that was the only entrance. But the two, black-cloaked Death Eaters who had led him down here from the buildings above, were now busy casting spells and lighting candles. With a reluctant bow, one of the mask-less Death Eaters gestured for him to sit at the wooden table in the middle of the chamber. There were about sixteen chairs set around it, and the tall, white-haired Lucius took his position halfway along one side of the table.

"Do you wish me to take your coat, or staff, sir?" the other man smiled stiffly.

"No, Selwyn. I'll keep them. Summer evening or not – there is still a chill in the air, here."

"I apologise, sir. Travers will conjure some fire spells for us." Selwyn looked across to his comrade. With a flicker of annoyance, the third Death Eater got to work, and opened a wooden box next to the entrance. From within it, he took out some miniature crystal balls, and then proceeded to place them around the circumference of the cellar. A swish of his wand later, Travers had conjured up magical fires within the crystal balls he'd just used to form the circuit.

Although he soon felt warmer, Lucius' haughty expression of displeasure didn't change, even when he was drinking a delightful red wine from the silver goblet that Selwyn had served him with.

His lips twitched briefly into a smile, as he looked up to see his son, Draco, enter and approach the seat besides him. Other Death Eaters: Yaxley, Walden Macnair, Avery, the Carrows, and more, were following in Draco's wake.

"Father." Draco nodded, before sitting down. He sneered at the crumbling state of the cellar. "This is what we've been reduced to, is it? Now that our rightful leader has been…slaughtered, we have to meet up in old muggle properties like _this!?"_

"This cellar was your aunt's idea, Draco," Lucius' voice conveyed a note of reproach. "Distasteful as the situation is, it makes sense for us to hide and meet in places that the wizarding community will never expect to find us! And I understand, this cellar, in this mid-England city – absurd as it may sound – used to hold gatherings of muggle parliament. Centuries ago – before the Houses of Parliament were built. If we are careful enough, history will be repeated in our favour."

Draco scowled. "I look forward to that day. I also look forward to us going back home – when we are no longer fugitives!"

"So do I, Draco," Lucius drawled. He glanced around at the gathered company of seated Death Eaters drinking wine and talking in low voices amongst themselves. "Your mother was coming with Bellatrix, I understand?"

"Yes…" Draco looked sharply across at the black-robed figures currently descending the stone steps. "Here they are now!"

The two latest arrivals pulled down their hoods, almost simultaneously. The one at the rear revealed her pale-blonde hair and proud, refined features. Then she headed over to take the empty seat that her husband had reserved for her. They briefly touched hands.

Meanwhile, the black permed tresses of Bellatrix Lestrange bounced lightly over her dark gown-like dress and cloak as she walked proudly and purposefully over to the far end of the table. The seat there was of better quality – higher backed, and with red-leather padding. Bellatrix handled herself like a high-born lady as she took her seat.

Meanwhile, Selwyn and Travers finished their duties as attendants, and took up guard next to the bottom of the staircase. Casting spells to prevent the impending conversation from escaping the cellar – as well as other forms of protection – they then nodded to Bellatrix.

The chamber was now silent. All of those seated were facing Lestrange. She took a sip of the wine from the goblet she had just received.

"The meeting will now begin," she declared in her slightly-loud, piercing voice, as her dark eyes met the others in turn. "I see that most of us are gathered. The others, such as Greyback, have been told to maintain their posts for tonight. In case any of you are wondering, the muggles who own this place, believe us to be ghost-hunters, engaged in a séance. So we shouldn't be disturbed."

"So I have heard correctly!" a man with a long, pale, and somewhat twisted face, announced. "You are now putting yourself forward as our 'Dark Lady'. Has there been a consensus on this motion?"

"Watch your tongue, Dolohov! Before I cut it out, myself!" Bellatrix shot him a look of fury. "I am – was – our Lord's favourite. And he placed more of his trust in me to carry out our battles, then he did in anyone else!"

"But did our master appoint anyone to carry on the war in the event of his death?" Alecto Carrow lowered her goblet and glared at Lestrange with no small measure of distrust.

"No – because he never expected to die," the ex-ministry official named Yaxley turned to her and replied curtly.

"Then Lestrange has no automatic right to lead us!" Alecto's husband, Amycus, roared.

Half of the gathering suddenly erupted into a furious argument – with several of the Death Eaters trying to make their voices heard above the others. Out of the corner of his eye, a silent Lucius Malfoy saw the furious Bellatrix walk around the cellar, to seize a bottle of wine identical to the ones already poured. Using her wand, she then levitated it into the air, above the centre of the wooden table.

With her next spell, the Goth-like witch shattered the glass.

Red wine was splattered across the faces and clothes of the seated company, who immediately fell silent.

A waste of a perfectly good Saint-Amour, thought Lucius, as he scowled and pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, to wipe his face.

"Shut…UP!" Bellatrix shrieked. She returned to her end of the table, but remained standing. "The Dark Lord would have no patience for this squabbling – and neither will I! I am the strongest of us here – and you know it! If anyone is brave, or stupid, enough to contest leadership with me – then they can stand up now and make themselves know. Then we can invoke a duel to the death at a suitable place. Tonight!"

Lucius took a deep breath to steady his nerves. The temptation to become leader was there, yes. But he knew the blaze in Bellatrix's eyes. He knew how dangerous and deranged his sister-in-law could be.

_He_ was one of the Dark Lord's favourite servants – or he had been until his capture at the Ministry of Magic, two years ago. Despite being sprung by a combined force of Death Eaters and Dementors, Lucius had suffered his master's ire on occasion. He had wanted to prove himself worthy again – by killing one of the Order of the Phoenix, for example. But it had not come to pass.

And now the inconceivable had happened. Lord Voldemort had died. And Lucius wanted – they all wanted – revenge on Harry Potter and his friends and allies. But he couldn't do that if Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. She was quite capable of it. She wouldn't hesitate to duel anyone to the end, if they challenged her…

Lucius Malfoy had managed to be several things in his life – a school prefect, a governor of Hogwarts, an official at the Ministry of Magic, and a proud husband and father. He had also been a schemer, a liar, and a resolute supporter of his Lord – despite the setbacks he had endured, such as that failed attempt to restore _him_ by the use of his Horcrux-diary.

Lucius did not intend to go down in history as a fool.

The other Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably at Bellatrix's outburst, and they cast fugitive glances at each other, as if daring _someone_ to step up to Voldemort's self-appointed successor. But nobody did.

Yaxley made his opinion know. "No one here will oppose you, Madame Lestrange. You are hereby authorized to lead us!"

There was a murmur of assent around the table.

"So mote it be." Bellatrix smiled with satisfaction. "And, for the record, I will announce _my_ successor right now. My favourite nephew – Draco Malfoy – will from this moment on, become my Regent! To become your future Dark Lord when I so deem."

Half-slouched over the table, Draco shot upright in his chair – his face etched with surprise and delight. A gasp escaped Narcissa Malfoy's lips, then she stood up to hug her son. Lucius smiled and laid a firm hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Congratulations, my son."

Draco grinned back, and regarded the rest of the gathering with a triumphant leer. A few shocked expressions were quickly replaced by strained smiles – followed by a round of applause, some of which was weak, and soon faltered.

"Thank you, Aunt Bellatrix." He nodded at her. "I will not disappoint you in my preparations for this honour."

"Abide by that pledge, Draco. And honour my leadership," she cautioned him. "Do so, and all will be well."

"All very good – but why did the inconceivable happen at all?" Augustus Rookwood piped up. "How did our Lord perish?"

"Not all the details are known to me," Bellatrix declared, as she sat back down at the head of the table. "However, thanks to that Umbridge woman at the Ministry – who remains a secret supporter of our planned regime change – it has been ascertained that He, plus Nagini and that dolt, Wormtail, all came to grief in the operation at Hogwarts. Harry Potter killed our Lord."

An angry roar erupted from the table, as some of the Death Eaters began to blame others of not doing enough in the battle to ensure their victory.

"Silence!" Bellatrix slammed her hand on the table – and instantly the arguments ceased.

"There will be NO bickering between us. _I_ have suffered as much as you all! More so – as not only did I love our Lord more than anyone else, my own husband and brother were captured and incarcerated. Now, we need to be united, in order to enact our revenge upon our enemies. We can still seize control of this nation – first by conquering our opponents in the wizarding community; then we will deal with the witless muggle population!"

The cellar was as quiet as a graveyard for a moment. Then Yaxley cleared his thought. "You have a plan in mind, my Lady?"

Bellatrix gave a satisfied, calculating smile. "Yes, Yaxley. And the initial stages are already underway. Are they not, dear Lucius?" She turned to face the Malfoy family.

Conscious of everyone eyes now falling upon him, Mr Malfoy rose to his feet, one hand on his serpent-headed cane. Now and then, he habitually tapped the silver snake's open mouth against the palm of his other hand.

"That is correct, my Lady," he began. "For the past two weeks, my brethren, I and a small team have been working upon some rare alchemic substances. At the earliest stage, we had opened to develop these further with the aid of Severus Snape…"

He paused, seeing Bellatrix's face contort at the memory of the events surrounding Snape's death. Thankfully, most of the Death Eaters remained ignorant of the details, Lucius reminded himself.

"However, despite that option being closed to us, I am pleased to say that progress has been made!" Lucius' nostrils flared with satisfaction. "The injections have worked upon rats and toads – and even upon a monkey we managed to acquire. Now, we need to test the injections upon human subjects."

"What form of experiments?" Yaxley asked, raising his blunt features to appraise Lucius.

"Patience, Yaxley. I cannot reveal too much, just yet. I will say that if all goes well, the wizarding community will once again be rocked by deaths, and…more," Lucius' eyes glinted with anticipation. "The plan will enable us to regain power, whilst our reservoir of allies are put into place – ready for combat."

"And do you have human subjects ready for these…experiments, father?" Draco asked him.

Lucius' lips stretched into a tight smile. "Not yet, dear Draco. But I have decided who they will be. I'm sure you will approve of my choices…"

* * * * *

At the end of July, Harry reached his eighteen birthday. Having had the legality of his coming-of-wizard-age, seventeenth birthday, totally ignored by the Dursleys – Harry celebrated his latest birthday return by using his muggle-recognised right to officially leave his aunt's family for good.

Harry received quite a few gifts from those he considered to be his friends. He also received, to his surprise, money in the form of donations from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw houses, organized by members of Dumbledore's Army.

One of the best surprises, however, was being given a new Firebolt broomstick from Hagrid, who presented it on behalf of the Hogwarts staff to Harry.

That day, another evening party was held for Harry. This time it was at The Burrow, the home of the Weasleys. All of his adoptive family was there. Even Percy – who'd thought that Harry had been crying wolf when he announced, three years ago, that Voldemort was on the rise once more.

After having broken away from his family, Percy was now reconciled with them. He had also apologized to Harry for his callous conduct to him – and the two were back on amicable terms. His birthday present to Harry had been to promise greater co-operation from the Ministry of Magic, where Percy worked in a position close to the Minister.

"You-Know-Who is no more, but some of his followers are still at liberty," Percy admitted to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the entirety of the gathered Weasley family. "The Ministry will work fully with Hogwarts on the situation. And we will help fund your Auror training – all three of you!" He then turned to Ginny, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "All, of course, I'll stand by my sister – werewolf or not. I still love you, Ginny."

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Percy."

Later on, Harry went outside into the large garden for some fresh air. Leaving the racket of Fred and George's dancing in the house behind him, he found Ginny by herself, staring up at the crescent moon.

Not wanting to startle her, he stood still and took in her ginger locks and young, attractive features, as well as her smart red dress. She was a year younger than him – the baby of the Weasley family. And now, he was becoming fixated by her. Framed by the moonlight, she looked almost ethereal. It was a reminder, Harry told himself, that a part of Ginny now belonged to the night.

"It's all right, Harry," she called out softly. "You can join me."

He walked up to her, making eye-contact. "You didn't even turn round," he pointed out. "Is that down to your werewolf senses?"

Ginny nodded. "I've only transformed three times so far. Into my halfway form – with Remus Lupin with me on each occasion. But I'm making progress – or so the Professor told me. Even in my human shell, my senses began to become more acute, not long before…, before my first change. But yes. I could smell you, Harry. And right now, I can tell your heart's beating faster than normal."

"Now that's just female intuition!" Harry smirked, and Ginny smiled. "How are you…bearing up with all this?" he asked her.

"Well… Fred and George seem even louder to me than they did before. Werewolf senses aren't always advantageous." She laughed. "As you know, brother Bill was affected, if only slightly, by Greyback's human bite, last year. So he's had a talk with me about his enhanced senses.

"I've been getting used to hunting rabbits in the forest outside Hogwarts – those that Hagrid's been breeding for the Professor and me… I… I used to like rabbits. Now I like them in a different way. I just have to accept it. I can't afford to go mad… Better rabbits than chewing on people."

Harry nodded, knowing that Ginny had stayed over at school after term had finished, because of her…condition. She'd only travelled back home a fortnight ago. He glanced at the moon again. "It'll be full again, soon. What happens then?" he asked.

"Professor Lupin's travelling over to see me. Me, he, and Tonks will spend time in some woods, in Surrey. No settlements for miles around, I've been told."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Is Tonks a werewolf, too, then?"

Ginny laughed. "No! She's our…human caretaker. As we already know, they're still an item. His wolf accepts her. And so does mine." She then looked around and whispered confidentially. "Tonks actually wanted to become a werewolf, and she asked Lupin to bite her! This was a few months back. But it didn't work. Apparently, she's immune to the condition. That's what she told me."

"Oh!" Harry actually felt glad that Ginny was confiding in him. Then he frowned, as he thought over something she'd said earlier. "You say you've…changed…three times. There's been two full moons since…since you received the bite."

Ginny nodded. "Two forced changes, thanks to the full moon. And I've once managed to change of my own accord, at night, since the last full moon – just before I left the school, to come home. I'm…adapting to it all, Harry. Mum and Dad were upset, as you can imagine – but no one's rejecting me. Quite the opposite, in fact." She stepped closer to Harry. "How do you feel…about us? Now that…there's a creature inside of me?"

"Ginny… You're still you, as far as I'm concerned. If you want us to have a deeper relationship, now that Voldemort's dead… I'll give it all I can." Harry smiled and held her hand.

"So will I." With a look of relieved joy, Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders, and met him in a slow, smooching kiss.

Harry automatically held Ginny to him, and lost himself in her, savouring the moment. Not wanting it to end.

Then Ginny broke off lip-contact. But she didn't let go. Instead, she rubbed her nose along his jaw, then went on tiptoe to gently nip his earlobe with her teeth.

"Hey!" Harry protested – mildly.

Ginny giggled. "Sorry, Harry. Wolf instincts! Would you rather I didn't…?"

He thought about it, then relaxed and smiled. "I'll let you continue, then. Just…leave my ear intact."

"I will." She nuzzled him again, as the moon shone down on the two happy teenagers with its soft light.

* * * * *

The next few days of the summer were good to Harry. Now that he was a permanent lodger at the Weasley's household (until he decided whether or not to keep 12 Grimmauld Place), he felt truly free to do whatever he'd liked – for the first time ever in his life. True, he would be returning to Hogwarts, along with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. But that would be on the first of September. For the four weeks following his birthday he had time to spare – and celebrate his parting from the Dursleys.

Also, Harry had inherited a sum of money on his 18th birthday, thanks to the wills of his parents and Sirius Black. Harry took some of it out, and with it had gone on a week's holiday around the West Country with Ron, the girls, and Mr and Mrs Weasley – investigating places like Glastonbury Tor and Tintagel Castle, as well as spending time on the beaches. That had been wonderful.

Even better were the time when the four of them – Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione (the latter pair were now practically dating as much as Harry and Ginny), were doing their own things. Swimming, bowling, going to the cinema and kissing in the back rows. All that teenage (and non-magical) stuff that all four of them had rarely indulged in before, whilst Voldemort's shadow had hung over their lives.

Towards the end of the summer break, however, the clouds began to gather again. Harry had been spending the evenings at 12 Grimmauld Place, having a one-to-one consultation session with Professor Moody on his forthcoming Auror training. They had also just discussed the latest news on the Ministry's attempts to locate the missing Draco Malfoy and his parents, for their support of Voldemort's cause.

"Still no luck on any of them," Moody spat. His false eyes rolled in its leather support, as he gripped the arms of his chair in his frustration. "Wherever they've gone to ground, they've hid themselves well. No traces, no clues. The same with Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry took another large sip of his lemonade, to wash down the bitter taste rising into his mouth. As much as he wanted Draco Malfoy to face justice for his past actions, Bellatrix was another who had much to answer for. Not only had she been responsible for leaving Neville Longbottom's parents effectively brain-dead, she'd also slain Harry's godfather, Sirius Black.

Suddenly, there was a 'whoosh' from the log fire burning in the paper-cluttered study they were sat in. The flames changed to a scarlet colour.

Moody gave a start, and shot up out of his seat, before limping over to the fireplace with the aid of his false leg. "Merlin's beard! It's a Code Red, Potter!"

The vision of a face appeared in the flames. Harry quickly joined Mad Eye. A Code Red naturally meant something bad. His heart lurched as he saw whose face was now speaking to them both.

"Sorry to butt in, Alistor. But it's important!" Mr Weasley announced, somewhat breathlessly. "Ron and Ginny were kidnapped! We've got them back – and Remus and Tonks are with us now, but…"

"Ron? Ginny?" Harry spoke up. "Are they all right, Mr Weasley!?"

He redirected his somber face towards the young man. "Ginny's distraught. She's… Well, get over to us now – and you'll hear about it. But… I'm sorry, Harry. Ron's been injected with some type of poison. He's fighting for his life!"

* * * * *

One carefully-devised teleportation spell later, Harry and Professor Moody had joined Arthur Weasley. To their surprise, they were not at The Burrow, but in another house, which bore no floor carpets, and had only a minimum of furniture in the lounge. The place was heated by the fire in the heath Mr Weasley had used for his communication – but the drab-looking, undecorated walls, and the stillness of what was evidently a private house set apart from other residences, gave Harry the impression that this was a building that provided a _function_. It was not a home.

"Good – you're here!" A pale-looking Mr Weasley removed his spectacles, and rubbed his red-rimmed eyes. He patted Moody's shoulder. "My son's upstairs. Quickly! Help Remus to work out what's happening to Ron… No, Harry – wait!"

But Harry was already on the move. Through the open doorway, he'd seen the silver, serpent-headed stick lying on the hallway floor. He ran over and picked it up. It bore marks along it. Claw marks.

Harry recognized the cane, and his muscles tightened with anger. He threw the stick aside, in disgust. Ignoring Mr Weasley's protests, Harry bounded upstairs – and stopped only when he saw the trickle of drying blood oozing down the uncarpeted top steps. Cautiously, he edged himself on – and saw the sprawled figure lying on the landing, at the top of the staircase.

Lucius Malfoy stared at the ceiling above him, with shocked, wide eyes. Yet he saw nothing. His throat and upper chest were a torn, ragged mass of flesh and exposed muscles and bones. The landing around the body was splattered with the blood and tissues which had come from the Death Eater.

Harry sucked in his breath, stunned. Behind him, Professor Moody took the stairs slowly with his impaired walk, and gave a low whistle as he saw the tragic scene before him.

"So I've managed to live to see the day this weasel got his due!" he rumbled. "Mind where you step, Harry!"

Harry forced back the bile rising in his throat, and – stepping around the deceased Mr Malfoy – rushed into the bedroom, where he could hear Professor Lupin. Mad Eye followed close behind.

Lupin and Tonks glanced up at Harry, then returned their attention to Ron, who was lying in a bed, sweating profusely. He was jerking repeatedly in small, stiff motions as Tonks held him down.

"Ron!" Harry cried out. But his friend's gaze was rigid, and fixed upon a point straight before him – not really seeing anything…

Like Lucius Malfoy. But his was an expression of shock, as he was killed, Harry reasoned to himself. This… This is something different…

"He can't hear you, Harry," Remus Lupin declared. "There's nothing you can do here – let me and Alistor me. Ginny's in the next bedroom, with Hermione. Be there for them!"

Harry nodded numbly. As he left the room, his mind haunted by the image of Ron's condition, he heard Lupin whisper to Moody.

"Mad-Eye, conjure up a microscope for us with your magic! There's some blood samples on the dressing table over there, to check out…"

His mind swimming with questions, Harry entered the adjacent bedroom. The girls were hugging each other – both sat on a bed that had its upper blankets ripped and flung to the floor. The remains of broken leather strains hung from the sides of the bed. Hermione and Ginny looked over to him, with tear-stained faces.

Also on the floor were the torn remains of some clothes that Harry recognised as being Ginny's – the ones he'd saw her wearing earlier that day, before he went to Grimmauld Place, ready for his appointment with Professor Moody. She was dressed differently now.

The penny dropped in his head.

"Oh, Ginny," he sighed.

He stepped forward to embrace her, as she shot up and flung herself at him, sobbing. There was still a trace of dried blood around her temple – and he could also smell it on her breath, and see it lining her teeth…

"I couldn't help it, Harry!" she cried. "I killed Mr Malfoy…!"

* * * * *

Some minutes later, the girls had recovered enough to tell Harry what had happened.

Ginny and Ron had been returning from a walk around a nearby chase, when they were ambushed, and captured, by three Death Eaters. After being bundled into the back of a large van, the two Weasleys were brought into the house, syringe-injected with some black fluid, and then strapped into the two beds in the house: Ron in the other bedroom, and Ginny in the bed where Harry and the girls were sat around now. Trapped beneath the covers, Ginny had seen the lead Death Eater take off his cloth hood – to reveal his identity as Lucius Malfoy.

"Although I was feeling groggy and delirious from whatever was injected into my blood, I could tell from Malfoy's face that I wasn't reacting the way he was expecting." Ginny spoke slowly, weighing up her words as she gave her account, though she was still shaking somewhat as Harry listened. Hermione squeezed the other girl's arm, giving her some comfort.

"However," Ginny gulped, continuing. "I could hear Ron crying out in agony. Mr Malfoy told one of his men to go, and tell the others that the solution was only working on one of the two 'test cases'. After his man left, I began to be sick on the blanket. I realized…that Ron and I had been injected with some type of poison…and that Ron was suffering.

"Something in me then exploded, Harry," Ginny admitted. Her eyes looked away from him for a moment. "I was a prisoner of a man who'd put that infernal diary amongst my school belongings…as you know. A book that took control of me – made me an unthinking puppet! And now, the same man was expecting me – and Ron – to die, as part of an experiment!"

Harry nodded. "You changed into your wolf. Hence the ruined clothes on the floor."

"Into my half-wolf persona, anyway…" Ginny's eyes were moist again. "I broke free from my restrains – then leapt for Mr Malfoy, on the landing. He tried to fire off a spell at me with his staff, but I swiped it aside – and it fell down the stairs. Then I made him pay…"

"Whilst this was happening…," Hermione took up the story. "…Mr Weasley, Professor Lupin, Tonks, and I, broke into the house and rendered the remaining Death Eater unconscious." She twitched nervously – still upset over Ron, Harry realized. "We…, we managed to track down the kidnappers with some recently-improved magic the Order of the Phoenix has devised."

Harry managed to smile. "That's good work." He shifted his attention to Ginny. "And you were still…half-wolf…when the cavalry appeared? You didn't attack them?"

"Yes, and no – in that order." Ginny's lips twitched upwards with self-pride. "My…other half…was suspicious of the newcomers, but she – I – realized they were friends and family. I managed to change back into my human skin, and Hermione was good enough to nip home and back with more of my clothes."

"We're only about a mile or so from The Burrow," Hermione explained. "The Death Eaters must have been keeping tabs on us. Maybe for just days – perhaps longer."

There was a sudden knock at the door. Harry quickly opened it, to admit Professors Lupin and Moody. Both looked grim-faced.

Ginny's hands shot to her mouth. "No! Ron's not dead! I… I can hear him gasping…"

"Our magic spells are keeping him alive for now – but we're fire-fighting, Ginny." Moody curled his lips. "The poison is in his blood. It's attempting to shut down his organs."

"But I was injected with the same chemical, I'm certain!" Ginny wailed. "Why am I not affected by it?"

"Precisely." Lupin shifted uncomfortably. He nervously rubbed his moustache.

"The blood samples you have…?" Harry put to them.

"They're from Ron and Ginny – taken by the Death Eaters," Lupin announced. "Ron's cells show that they've been killed off by something potent. Something I've never seen the likes of before. Ginny's… Well, I took a blood sample from myself and exposed a discovered sample of this black liquid to my own blood cells, and left them in a dish. The result is the same as in Ginny's case."

Hermione slowly raised her head, in interest. "The virulent cells were killed off, instead of the blood cells – weren't they?" she ventured.

"Exactly," Moody announced gruffly.

"Then werewolves are immune to this…disease…," Harry concluded. He spun round to face Ginny. "That means you can save Ron!"

Ginny's face turned pales, as she took in the implications. She stared at the Professors. "Is there no other way?" she whispered.

"No. Ron will die, unless… Unless I – or you – bite him, and pass on our immunity to him. If he lives, Ron will become like us, Ginny." Lupin carefully measured his next words. "I've just informed your father. He wants me to deliver the bite… But I wanted you all to understand…before the deed is done." He sighed. "Leave this room, everyone. I'll change here, once the curtains are drawn to. Then I'll…"

"I'll do it!" Ginny declared in a tiny, but determined tone-of-voice, as she stood up straight. "I'll help you. I'm his sister, after all! I can control my wolf, now."

Lupin nodded, and glanced at Harry, Hermione, and Moody. Taking their cue, they left – as Lupin pulled the curtains to, and quickly began to undress along with Ginny. Mad Eye closed the door behind him.

It didn't take long for them to hear the sounds of stretching and twisting bones, coming from the room.

* * * * *

A minute or so later, Harry helped Tonks and Mr Weasley to hold Ron in place, in his bed. He was still experiencing spasms – only more frequently now. To one side of the bed, a tearful Hermione was holding Ron's pale, cold hand. And Moody was using a spell to help maintain Ron's body temperature.

Moody stepped back, as the two werewolves entered the lit bedroom. The first was a brown-furred wolf man, who looked healthier and more self-controlled than when Harry had seen him in this form. Behind the wolf man, was a smaller, russet-coloured wolf girl. Harry felt transfixed by the sight of her – knowing that this creature was still his Ginny.

The werewolves growled lowly, and slowly walked upright on two lupine-like legs. Harry and the others kept still and held their nerve, as the humanoid werewolves moved in. The wolf man that was Professor Lupin loped around the bed, and took his place besides Harry, as he lowered himself and placed his jaws ready to deliver a deep bite below the left side of Ron's ribcage.

As near to the heart as possible, Harry realised. To clear out the poison in Ron's bloodstream.

In the meantime, Ginny had stopped besides Ron's right side.

Both Lupin and Ginny paused and glanced at Arthur Weasley, who was taking in the hybrid form of his daughter.

"Do it," he told them, eyes moistening. "Don't let Molly and me be standing over a coffin. Not yet."

Professor Lupin nodded, and carefully sank his fangs into Ron's torso. An instant later, Ginny bit into her brother's right arm – where he'd been injected.

Ron gave a cry of pain.

At least he's still aware, Harry thought numbly.

The werewolves licked at the wounds they had made, until the marks gradually healed. Minutes later, they left the room together, in order to change back. The others stayed in the bedroom.

Tonks took Ron's temperature with a thermometer, and called out. "He's stabilizing!" A minute later she declared. "Temperature's rising – not falling! He's developing a fever! The werewolf syndrome is fighting the poison in him!"

"Get some cold water to tab him with, then, Tonks." Moody glanced at Harry, Hermione, and Mr Weasley. "Now, we'll wait to see which affliction wins the day!"

As one, Harry and Hermione collectively squeezed Ron's hands.

"Hang in there, mate!" Harry breathed, silently praying that this was not the end for his best friend.

Hermione echoed his words. "_Come on_, Ron! Don't leave us now!!"

11


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Lessons, Letters, And Lycanthropy**

Harry jumped down from the coach, and gazed out from the ridge the crowd was standing on, as they looked down and across the horizon laid out before them in the dark of the early evening. On the left, was the Forbidden Forest. Hogwarts Castle was directly ahead. Beyond the spires, turrets, and great stone walls, were the lake which nestled at the foot of the precipice of rock that supported the Great Hall and the main body of the school. In the distance and to the right of them was the long loch that joined up with the sea, some miles further on.

There was a series of surprised murmuring from the older pupils close by, who were dressed in their robes.

Talking about us coming, I suppose…

Ignoring them, Harry and his party headed forward, through the main gates of Hogwarts – then, acting on Hermione's earlier suggestion, they veered to the right, climbing up a small knoll, to gaze afar and watch the lantern-lit wooden boats crossing the lake towards the school. The old tradition of letting the new intake pupils see Hogwarts for the first time, via the 'scenic' route, courtesy of Hagrid's caretaker duties, was still being upheld. Harry smiled, as he heard Hagrid's voice on the faint breeze.

"Now, jus' look at tha', kids! Ain't it pretty? Tha' will be your home 'til next summer. Be good in Hogwarts, and it'll be good to you!"

"Never thought we would see this day, did we?" Ron spoke up.

Harry looked across at him, thinking again of the day he'd nearly lost his friend altogether. "Come again?" he answered back.

Ron nodded at the pupils walking along the paved road that led from the gates to the school. "Us being staff – not pupils," he explained.

"Yes. It _is_ strange. Being here, and not wearing our usual robes," Hermione remarked, as she strode across to Ron and offered her hand. He smiled and took it.

"Well, speak for yourselves – but now it's _my _last year. So I am wearing my robes!" Ginny grinned and joined the others, taking position next to Harry. "Spare a thought for me, studying for NEWTS – whilst you lot have fun, training to be Aurors!"

"Don't forget our _actual_ jobs, sis!" Ron reminded her. "Me being a Quidditch coach, and 'Mione being a librarian. At least Harry's not so bogged down for once. Still, he deserves a rest more than the rest of us."

"I won't argue with you there, Ron!" Harry beamed. He and his friends smiled at each other, as they all savoured the moment. He was about to take Ginny's hand – then stopped, worrying that it would give the passing pupils more to talk about.

Ginny saw his aborted motion, and read his mind. "There'll be time for that later, Harry." She smirked.

At least the fact that Ginny and Ron were now _both_ werewolves was a secret known only to them and the Weasley family. As well as Professors Flitwick, the teaching staff (and Tonks)… Oh – and Hagrid, Harry reminded himself. As groundsman, Hagrid had to know if any werewolves, learning self-control, were out in the Forbidden Forest, hunting game.

Harry saw Ron glance at the half moon in the southern night sky. At least it was a mild, dry night.

"Half moon… That means another week until…you know what…- doesn't it?" Harry whispered to the others.

"Yeah. I know my moon cycles, now." Ron looked pensive. "At least I've got two good teachers in that course of study."

Ginny blushed at the compliment. "I'm still a pupil on that score, too, my brother. And you did just fine, during your first experience under the full moon. You'll soon catch up with me."

"I guess so." Ron's lips twitched, showing his unease, as he thought of the full moons awaiting him in the future.

"Let's go on, shall we?" Hermione declared.

They nodded and set off, walking down the slope of the knoll, heading towards the wide path that led to the great castle's front doors.

* * * * *

The first night back at Hogwarts was like a dream. It seemed surreal to be sat at the head table in the Great Hall, and be introduced to the pupils as new members of staff. He, Ron, and Hermione, were cheered by the pupils – thanks to their now-famous efforts in the war against Lord Voldemort and his forces. Ginny, of course, was quite possibly the loudest amongst the jubilant Gryffindors.

The staff all raised a toast to their three new colleagues, also. Professor McGonagall actually looked proud of them. So too did Professor Slughorn, who winked at the trio, before downing his drink.

* * * * *

A new routine of receiving semi-regular evening classes from Professor Moody – plus research, and staff duties – soon became the accepted norm for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Later on – since he had agreed to it, Harry would be expected to help Moody in some of his DADA (Defence Against the Dark Arts) classes to the pupils.

Besides this, Ron was trying to get to grips with his life as a new werewolf. He admitted to Harry, in private, that he had joined Ginny in taking lessons in the Shrieking Shack, from Professor Lupin, how to effect a transformation by choice, at night.

"I can do it, mate! I've turned into a wolf man – and back – of my own accord! But Ginny can do one better. She – like the Professor – can now change all the way into a wolf, and return to human form." Ron's eyes were wide, as he grinned. The two of them were talking in their shared sets of rooms, as they paused partway in a game of Wizard's Chess. This was in late September – almost a full month after their return to Hogwarts. Ron had experienced his second full moon, and the enforced change. Over the past four weeks he'd attended a few 'special night class lessons', as the two young men preferred to call Professor Lupin's werewolf-training sessions.

"That's excellent news!" Harry praised him warmly. He paused, and then cautiously asked. "How…? How does it feel…being a werewolf, Ron?"

Ron placed his elbows on the table between them and rested his chin against his cupped hands. "It was scary enough, knowing I was dying, Harry," he admitted, harkening back to the events in the house used by the Death Eaters. "As you know, the werewolf bites brought on a fever, as the lycanthrope condition spread through my body. I was sick soon afterwards, expelling the injected poison from my system… And then, to recover and be told you're now a werewolf-to-be… Well, next to all that, and the apprehension – it turned out to be an actual relief when I did undergo my…my first change."

Harry nodded. "Rather like knowing you're going to the Dentist for a scale and polish. When it comes round, at least you're getting it over and done with."

Ron laughed. "Hurts, too. Only the change didn't affect my teeth alone – it hurts _all_ over. After the first time, it's not so bad. The Professor says the longer you live as a werewolf, the smoother the transformation becomes. But you get a rush of energy, of strength – and your senses go mental! I'm learning to hunt down prey, as well. On the last hunt, I killed a rat. It was…a bit stringy. But Lupin and Ginny were happy with me."

"How's it going…?" Harry wasn't sure it was a wise question – but after all, they were best friends. "…between you and Hermione, now that you're a…you know what?"

Ron shrugged, but smiled. "Same as between you and Ginny, I guess. I know Ginny's happier, now that you and her are officially dating. Hermione… Well, we had a private talk when I recovered from that poisonous injection. She nearly finished me off herself, because she was clinging so tightly onto me, sobbing her heart out. For a moment I couldn't breathe! Anyway, she swore that she would take care of me, and be the best girlfriend that she could be – if I would have her."

"And you said yes." Harry grinned.

"Too right! I'd just been given another chance at life! As much as 'Mione and me have got on each other's nerves at times, she's always done good by us. And although I've been clueless when it comes to girls…, I know now, Harry, that I love Hermione. I'll learn whatever she wants me to learn. I want to make her feel proud of me – werewolf or not! What I am now… I won't let it be a barrier between us."

Harry took this in, then pondered on the layout of the chess board. He moved a pawn forward, then spoke again. "Then you're not…unhappy…anymore about being made a werewolf?"

"No." Ron looked directly at Harry. "I'd rather be what I am now, than be dead. I'm not angry with the Professor, with Ginny, or anyone. I've thanked them for saving my life. As for Lucius Malfoy – he got what he deserved!"

Moving his knight to one side, away from Harry's latest attack, Ron continued to express his thoughts. "I'm in the werewolf club for life, mate. I didn't choose it – fate chose me. Like your destiny chose you. Me and Ginny have just got to make the best of what we are. I've never really excelled as a…normal…pupil, Harry. You know that. You had to be the brave one – and Hermione was always the cleverest of us three."

Harry saw where this was going, as he played out his next move. "Don't sell yourself short, Ron! Without you, Hermione and I wouldn't have kept going. Besides, you got to show your strengths."

"Right. Wizards Chess, and Quidditch! And I had to push myself at the Quidditch." He took one of Harry's pawns with his White Queen. "Check."

Harry watched Ron's animated piece drew her sword and smash it against the cowering Black pawn, breaking it into tiny fragments. He looked back up at his friend. "Okay… Expand on your skills, Ron! Besides being the best Auror and werewolf pupil that you can be, what do you think you can do, given the uncertain future?"

After a long moment of silence, during which Harry made his next move, Ron slowly grinned. "A strategist!" he answered. "I used to play war games with my brother Charlie! If Fenrir Greyback and the remnant of his pack come back to Hogwarts again, I can do more than fight back with claws and fangs!"

"Contingency defence plans? Add suggestions to whatever the staff have thought of already?" Harry was becoming even more interested in the conversation now.

"Absolutely! How about silver-laced nets and tranquilliser bolts? Things we didn't have last time." Ron gave a cry of delight, and moved his Rook sideways to place Harry's King in check. The Black King's only escape route was now not possible, thanks to the recently-repositioned White Knight.

"Checkmate!" Ron declared happily.

Harry scanned the board, and shrugged, smiling.

"It is. Well done!"

The Rook's sword sliced into the Black King, smashing it into myriad pieces.

* * * * *

Autumn set in. Ron was getting to grips with his new role as deputy Quidditch coach, under Madame Hooch. Hermione was enjoying her duties in the library, helping to audit the records – and both they and Harry were coming to terms with the basics and beyond of being Aurors – learning about a range of lesser-known spells, various charms, how to detect a magical trail, and so on.

Regarding the death of Lucius Malfoy, the wizarding world knew only that he had been killed, whilst using unlawful magic. His body had been confiscated by the Ministry, and later burnt.

'…_No point in having a funeral. The only people who would now mourn him are the Death Eaters, who we're still looking for. And, obviously, they won't come forward to pay their respects, whilst being on the run,' _Percy had written to Ron and Ginny. _'However, we're picking up reports of an increase of people going missing – both muggles, and those in the wizarding world. We suspect it's werewolf activity._

_The latest information we have on the werewolves is that Fenrir Greyback is definitely the overall pack leader – the alpha. He has appointed two other werewolves to act as his deputies. Little is known about them – save that one is an albino male, named Thorn; and the other, his half-sister, is a dark-brown furred female called Briar. She has never been seen by our sources in her human form. Both of them are said to have been lycanthropes since birth, and that they despise the human establishment that has hunted down their forebears._

_Of late, the Ministry Aurors are having their time taken up with hunting the beasts down. Three werewolves have been killed since September – all of them muggles. Each one has proved to be too savage to be taken alive – despite us using silver-laced nets to pin them down, as you suggested, Ron. And besides those hunts, which were successful, to some degree, for us – there have been others which were not…'_

Also, a letter had been delivered – by owl – to Harry, at Hogwarts. Its contents, as he opened it at the staff table in the Great Hall, during breakfast one day, chilled him to the bone.

'_Undearest Potter _[it read]

'_You may have – by sheer luck – managed to kill our rightful Lord, but don't you dare think the war between our sides has ended! My brethren are gathering strength again – and the time will come when you and your friends will wish they'd never been born. Hopefully, I'll be there, to see your death, in person. It'll act as some consolation for the death of my father!_

_Yours most sincerely,_

_D'_

Resisting the temptation to crush the letter into a tiny ball, a silent Harry showed it instead to Hermione and Ron, whose faces turned pale. Ron then frowned, and sniffed at the letter.

"We'd better show this to Professor Moody," Harry declared, as he picked the letter up from the table. "Maybe there's something on the paper that'll provide a clue…"

"Stay away from it, Harry!" Ron snatched the letter from Harry's hands, and sent it spinning with a flick of his wrist, into the corner of the hall. Before it reached the floor, the message burst into a small ball of fire – startling everyone present, both staff and pupils.

Harry and Hermione sat rigid in their seats, their faces turned and their eyes fixed upon the flames now consuming the letter. In Professor Moody's absence, Hagrid soon strode along and extinguished Draco Malfoy's nasty surprise with an ice-forming spell from his wand.

"Nowt to worry about! Soon taken care of. Jus' ashes now," he announced airily. But Harry saw the worry in his eyes.

"How did you…?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron shrugged. "My enhanced senses, I guess. I must be able to smell trouble now. Literally!"

* * * * *

Despite the fly in the ointment that was Draco's letter, Harry was enjoying himself at Hogwarts so far, this time. The fact that he was now a member of staff, along with Ron and Hermione – plus the times the three of them were able to watch the Quidditch matches – was no doubt a strong reason. Also, never having to bare Snape's animosity ever again cheered Harry greatly – though, of course, this was tempered by the equally-noticeable absence of Professor Dumbledore, something that Harry was still getting used to, one year on.

And Voldemort was gone. Forever. His curse scar would trouble him no more.

But besides his Auror training – and spending time with Ron and Hermione – the subject most on Harry's mind was Ginny.

They spent what time they could together, at Quidditch matches, at Hogsmeade (the wizarding village close to Hogwarts Castle), and in the Forbidden Forest. However, there was always the fact that there was the staff-pupil line of protocol to be observed.

"It's not fair, Ginny," he told her, as – one sunny afternoon – they laid their backs against a tree at a spot overlooking the lake where Nagini had met her end, four months previously. "Ron and Hermione get to spend their time together without anyone muttering behind their backs."

Ginny just smiled as she leaned against Harry's chest. "At least I'll be seventeen soon. Then everyone in the wizarding world will see me as having come of age. Still, this way, I can count on you to treat me right! Late on… We'll have to plan our futures out, Harry."

"Unless the future is planning for _us_. I've outlived my destiny according to the prophecy, as you know. But…"

"Some people aren't prepared to let you live a happy life." Ginny sighed. Then she began giggling. "But they don't know that you have a devoted werewolf for a guard dog."

"You know you mean more to me than that." Harry smiled and tickled her nose, making her laugh out loud.

Later that week, Professor Lupin made arrangements with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, for them all to come over to the dilapidated Shrieking Shack, in Hogsmeade, shortly before sunset. The reason as to why wasn't declared, and both of the Weasleys looked as though they were in on a conspiracy of silence when Harry asked them if they knew. After that, Harry could make an intelligent guess. Professor Lupin, whilst he'd been a student at Hogwarts, had used the unoccupied building as his hideout to transform into his beastly alter ego during full-moon nights. A demonstration of the werewolf kind was apparently on the cards.

And so it proved. Whilst Harry and Hermione were instructed to wait downstairs, the three others separately used the upstairs rooms to undress. Over the next few minutes, Professor Lupin, Ginny, and Ron (in that order) emerged one-by-one as fully-fledged wolves. One was the size of a man, with brown fur, and keen, intelligent yellow eyes. The other two were smaller, and russet-furred, who sniffed the humans present with interest.

They all trotted over to Harry and Hermione, who both managed to master their fear and stroke the three lupine creatures. Harry smiled, thinking that under any other circumstances he wouldn't be scratching Ron behind the ears. But his friend didn't mind. Indeed, he allowed his tongue to hand out – demonstrating his complacency. Ron even licked at Hermione's face, as she got over her gasps of amazement and bent down to hug the Ron-wolf.

Harry, meanwhile, thought all three werewolves looked healthy, and – well – in _control_ of themselves. His fear had now been replaced by admiration. Ginny, in particular, with her slim build and sleek reddish fur, made his heart skip several beats – especially when she gave him a face-lick as well. He responded with a laugh, and tickled her tummy.

At a signaling growl from the older dog-wolf, the three were-creatures bounded away back to their rooms. Minutes later, the human personas of the trio – dressed once more – returned to their friends downstairs.

"Wow! That was strenuous." Ron's stomach growled, as Professor Lupin opened up the knapsack he'd brought along – and issued chocolate bars to him and Ginny.

"Here you go, my pupils. To replace the energy you've used up. One each for you two, as well, Harry, Hermione." Lupin smiled. "How did that demonstration strike our audience?"

"It was…" Harry sought for the right words.

"Absolutely amazing!" Hermione gushed. Her gaze lingered the longest on Ron, Harry noticed.

"…very impressive," Harry concluded.

Ron looked pleased. Ginny blushed, but smiled.

"Very good, indeed. Ten points each for Gryffindor…" Lupin slapped his forehead. "Sorry! I'm forgetting only _one_ of you is still a pupil, now! Well – ten points for _your _efforts, Miss Weasley. Both you and Ron will be better off with your lupine natures, now that you're able to integrate your dual…natures. If only I had been able to accept the wolf in me, as quickly as you youngsters – instead of suppressing it for so long!"

"But we will still be…dangerous…during a full moon night – won't we, Professor?" Ron pointed out.

"Yes indeed, Ron. But now you've proved that you can change – out of sunlight – on a normal night. Learn to harness your senses, speed, and strength as wolves," Lupin advised the Weasleys. "There may come a time when the whole of Hogwarts will depend on us three."

"What do you mean, sir?" Like the Professor, Harry still hadn't broken out of the old habits of addressing others within the school, either.

"From what news I've heard from the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix, the supporters of the deceased You-Know-Who are lying low – but they're still active. Disappearances are occurring again, my friends. From both the wizarding and muggle communities. Going by my enquires, I'm certain that Fenrir Greyback is recruiting more werewolves into his pack – in preparation for aiding the remaining Death Eaters in another Blitzkrieg on this nation of ours." Lupin's face turned dark. "They might attempt another battle here. After all, their Lord fell at Hogwarts. And that is something our enemies cannot forget – or forgive." He peered keenly at Ron and Ginny. "Are you both prepared to fight – as wolves, as well as humans – if that day comes?"

The Weasleys exchanged a look at each other, then took in the expectant expressions on Harry and Hermione's faces.

Ginny stepped forward and stood besides Ron, resting her hand in his. Ron squeezed it, and nodded to Lupin. "We are," they declared jointly.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, then faced the others. "And we'll be ready to fight again, too," Hermione spoke up – then quickly added, "As human members of the pack."

"Excellent." Lupin looked satisfied. "Ron here has made some interesting suggestions about setting up some anti-intruder traps, which I've passed onto the Headmaster. He's in favour of them. Well…, most of them."

Ron looked surprised. Then he grinned.

"Furthermore…," Lupin continued, "…he's considering the formation of a new group at Hogwarts, to help put Mr Weasley's ideas into action. And to discuss further plans for safeguarding Hogwarts. Would any of you battle veterans care to be on the committee?"

* * * * *

The Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match was getting into full flow. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all watching Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor team as they rapidly flew on their broomsticks around the Quidditch stadium within the school grounds.

The game had just turned 30 versus 20, with Gryffindor breaking the tie, when Tonks bounded to the top of the Gryffindor stand, panting somewhat from the climb. She was also looking worried. Her hair was actually oscillating between pink and red, Harry noticed.

"Ron! Come quickly – you're wanted in the Hospital Wing!"

"What…!? Blimey! I was giving my sister out there some much needed support…!"

"Never mind that, now! Either you come – or Ginny comes!"

Harry tore his wandering eyes away from the pleasing sight of Ginny yelling, as she snatched the flying Quaffle away from the reach of a blue-clad Ravenclaw chaser. Tonk's pleas now grabbed his complete attention. What was it that was so important that only the Weasleys were needed?

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked on impulse. He had barely seen the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher since the demonstration at the Shrieking Shack.

"In London – Ministry business…" Tonks was still exhausted after her run and climb. "Are you coming, Ron?"

"Oh… Sure."

"Can I tag along?" Hermione asked, now just as curious as Harry as to what was going on.

Tonks nodded. Harry wondered if he should go too – but Hermione urged him to stay, and report to Ginny, once the game was over.

The end came another hour later, with Ravenclaw snatching the Golden Snitch – and consequently beating a stronger Gryffindor team on a final score of 220 to 140. Not for the first time since his return to Hogwarts for this term, Harry wished that he was still on the Quidditch team.

You're no longer a pupil, remember…? He told himself. You've had your moments of glory. Now it's over to your successors…

"It's not so much fun, being up in the air now…," a despondent Ginny moaned, once she was off the pitch. "The wolf in me doesn't like heights! I have to fight against her near-panic, every time I go up…"

"Never mind – you were still great up there!" Harry kissed Ginny's cheek. He filled her in on what had happened to Ron and Hermione.

"Tonks wanted me or Ron? It must be a family matter…or you-know-what…" Ginny frowned. She got changed quickly, and hurried along with Harry to the Hospital Wing.

They got there, and found the door locked. Madame Pomfrey let them in, once she ascertained who was calling.

In a separate room, Harry and Ginny found a grim-faced Professor Moody sat besides one of the ward beds, where the blanket had been drawn up to cover the face. Nearby, Professor Sprout – head of Hufflepuff House – was consoling a black girl who was one of her House students.

Harry's heart sank, as his eyes took in the scene before them. "Professor… What's happened? Where's Ron?" he asked.

"Ron's getting…changed…behind there." Moody gestured with a thumb to a curtain rail at one end of the room. Behind it, Harry and Ginny could hear sobbing. Taking in their worried expressions, he added. "Hermione's with him. I…, I would let them be, Harry. We've got bigger problems to think about."

But Harry was already halfway to the curtain, where he could hear the conversation going on. He realized that it was Ron who was crying.

"…couldn't save her, 'Mione! If only I acted sooner…"

"Ron – you did all you could! She was evidently too far gone…"

Quick as a flash, Ginny flipped back the white blanket, to reveal the face of Donna Varner, a sixth-year Hufflepuff pupil. Her death mask was contorted, as if she had died whilst experiencing a spasm.

Ginny pulled the sheet further, and gasped. The posture and unnatural angles of Donna's arms and hands confirmed that she had died violently. Both Harry and Ginny were struck further by the grey-brown colouring of the deceased girl's skin, as well as the fact that she looked to be remarkably rigid. Also, there was a bite mark on the girl's shoulder.

"That can't be normal rigour mortis…," Ginny breathed.

"No," Harry answered. "It's…, it's like how Hermione and the others were petrified by the Basilisk – six years ago. Only this…seems worse…" He turned to face Moody. "What's been going on, sir?"

Moody glanced at Professor Sprout and the dumbstruck girl with her.

"We'll leave you to explain." The herbology teacher nodded back. "Come with me, Yvonne…"

"Ron's a werewolf… A werewolf…," the black girl repeated, as if in a daze.

"Yes… He won't hurt you, my dear. He was only trying to help…" Professor Sprout and her charge exited the Infirmary, and shut the door to behind them.

"Right." Moody got to his feet with the aid of his wooden staff. "Tonks has gone to send off a message by owl to Professor Lupin. The story is this: Donna Varner was with her friend Yvonne, in their dormitory, doing NEWT-level homework, when Donna began to feel ill, and starting having a fit. The symptoms she displayed – after I was called here – told me that we were dealing with the same condition…"

"…as what nearly killed Ron," Ginny concluded listlessly.

"Yeah. Only this time it seems to be stronger."

Everybody turned, to see a re-clad Ron pulling the curtains of his dressing cubicle apart. He slowly approached Donna's deathbed, with Hermione at his side. She had her arm wrapped around his shoulder, supporting him.

"You were asked to bite her, Ron?" Harry speculated.

"Yes… I changed." Ron sniffed and stared at the floor. "It was our only hope – but it didn't work!"

"It's like…her body's been turned to stone," Hermione whispered.

"Try moving Donna, Harry." Moody suggested. "It's safe to touch her – my magical eye tells me so."

Curious, Harry pushed his palms against Donna's shoulder. He gasped. "She's heavy – like a rock!"

"That could've been me – and Ginny." Ron muttered darkly. "If it's the Death Eaters doing this… How the hell did they manage this trick, here at Hogwarts!?"

"That's the _bbigg_ question, Master Weasley," Moody growled. He limped across to a bed opposite Donna's.

Harry's heart skipped a beat – his eyes had missed this other bed in the patient-empty ward. The bed also bore a white sheet with something hidden underneath.

Mad Eye pulled the sheet back.

"Let me introduce you to Audrey Horrobin, Third Year, of Slytherin House. He was brought in here, just before Donna was. He was dead within ten minutes!"

Harry and the others all drew in their breaths.

The dark-haired young man's agonized expression and pulled-back lips mirrored Donna's. So too did his twisted limbs. The colour of his skin was a pronounced grey-brown.

His body was virtually like stone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Harry's Choice**

The next few days were a time of heightened anxiety and near-panic. It was, Harry reflected bitterly, a return to the days of six years ago, when isolated people in Hogwarts were being 'petrified' by the Basilisk.

Being on the staff roll, even as trainees, did however allow Harry, Ron, and Hermione the opportunity to be fully briefed in the special staff meeting that Professor Flitwick called for. By this time, Professor Lupin had returned from his field trip with the Ministry of Magic, and was sat next to Tonks. Both of them looked just as disturbed as the rest of the horrified staff, as they listened to Professor Moody come to the end of his account. He was standing in the middle of the seated circle, in the general staff room.

"So far, the team I've led all over the castle has failed to find the cause of the infection. There is nothing to suggest that we have another basilisk within these walls. Master Horrobin and Miss Varner had no known links to each other, either in the school or outside of it. They were in different school houses. Both came from established wizard families. My suspicion is that they were random targets. Which, in turn, implies that there could well be more…incidents…to come."

"And…and this _isn't_ the first occurrence of this disease, I've been given to understand." Professor Trelawney nervously raised a thin hand.

"No," Moody replied gruffly. He turned to Harry and his friends.

"Now, thanks to Mr Weasley having to…change…to order to try to save Miss Varner's life, everyone here knows about him and his sister sharing the same, er-humph, _nature_, as Professor Lupin. Young Ron is, in fact, living evidence that the physiology of a werewolf provides immunity against this unknown disease we are now faced with. That's not very reassuring news, I know – but it is something."

"And we are aware that, whatever killed those children, it's not transmittable by touch," Madam Pomfrey rose from her chair. "They had not been injected, as far as I could tell."

She sat down, and Horace Slughorn pulled his bulk up as he got to his feet. "We don't know how they were infected – we've checked the food and water supplies of the castle, and looked over the belongings of both pupils," the potions teacher announced in his rumbling voice. "There was nothing out of the ordinary there – and nothing was detected on a spell designed to examine their bodies."

The teachers and staff muttered amongst themselves, clearly unnerved. Then Professor Flitwick hopped down from his high seat and walked to the centre of the circle. Moody moved to one side. After a moment of whispering between them, Moody nodded to the headmaster, who then addressed those gathered.

"There is more to reveal about the bodies of the two pupils," Flitwick's half-squeaky tones rang out, cutting through the muttering and silencing everyone. "They were moved to a room which was acting as a mortuary for them. However, within an hour of the bodies being laid out on the floor, it was discovered that the clothes and shrouds around them had split, and that the rock-like skin tissue of the victims had somehow _fused_ with the floor. In short, we can't move them! Nor can we perform an autopsy. The parents have been notified, of course, and they will come to grieve – but given those circumstances, unless we use muggle road drilling machines, I can't see how we can even pass the bodies over for burial or cremation."

Everyone in the seated audience, including Harry and his friends, reeled at this extraordinary news.

"This is looking really bad…," Hermione declared, in a hushed voice. "Any of us could be next."

"How did the Death Eaters get this…whatever it is…into the school?" Harry spat in anger.

No one was able to answer him – and the shadow of fear hung over all of those assembled for the rest of the meeting, and beyond.

* * * * *

Later that day, Hermione received distressing news from the Ministry of Magic – her parents had been attacked during the previous night at their home, by a couple of Death Eaters. Luckily, the Grangers had not been killed, but they were both injured and shaken by the assassination attempt. Their Auror guard, after being wounded, had managed to recover somewhat, and kill – by necessity – one of the Death Eaters. The other one escaped.

Having now learnt how to apparate skillfully though she hated doing it long-distance, Hermione disapparated from Hogsmeade and visited her parents at the Ministry's hospital, St. Mungo's - where the guard on them was being increased.

When Hermione came back to Hogwarts the next day she filled Harry, Ron and Ginny in on the story. By the end of her account, she was tearful, as she considered how she had nearly lost her parents. Ron went to comfort her, and led a sobbing Hermione away to somewhere more private.

More news came from the Ministry – at about the same time as the announcement for Hermione. This time Harry was the recipient. Thanks to Arabella Figg, a witch who was a neighbor in Privet Drive, the Ministry learnt of the abduction of the Dursleys. All three of them. There had been an attack during a parents evening at the school Dudley attended. Several dark-cloaked figures had appeared from nowhere, grabbed Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley – then disappeared with their prey.

If the Death Eaters are hoping to hurt me by that daring move, then they'll be disappointed…, thought Harry. I hope Uncle Vernon is giving them earache with his indignant shouting…

Even so, the news was a shock – and Harry wondered where the enemy was going to strike next. And who was going to suffer. Despite the death of Lord Voldemort, the reign of terror and fear was clearly not over.

That afternoon, after school hours, Harry and Ginny spent an hour by themselves in a secluded spot, where the forest overlooked the loch. They took along a few items for a mini picnic, and had just finished eating, when Harry's owl – Hedwig – landed close by. Surprised, Harry took the message from the tube strapped to her leg, and read the contents.

Grimacing, he scrunched it up in his fist.

Ginny jumped up from the grass where she'd been eating. "Harry, what is it?"

"More bad news." He straightened out the message again and showed it to her.

'_Harry_ [it read]

_There's been another fatality of what we've now termed 'The Blight'. A second year Gryffindor lad by the name of Desmond Troy was rushed into the Infirmary with the same symptoms of seizure that the other two pupils displayed. He was with a group of friends at lunch time, in the House Common Room, when he took ill. None of the others were affected._

_I was fortunate enough to take some blood samples from him before he died. Since none of us were able to save him, I wanted to conduct some experiments whilst the chance was there. I injected one sample into a rat, which soon developed the disease, and perished. The second sample I injected into myself._

_Three hours later, as I write this message, I have not shown any effects of the illness. Therefore, although the Death Eaters may have refined their weapon (for I am certain this is their doing), it seems that werewolves are still immune to the Blight._

_Please inform Ginny (who I understand is with you) of these developments, and see me at your earliest convenience._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Remus J Lupin'_

Ginny sat back down, but was otherwise silent after she'd finished reading aloud the crumpled letter. Harry ceased his agitated shuffling and joined Ginny on the grass again, sensing her troubled thoughts. He lovingly stroked her long ginger hair.

"Hey… We'll find an answer to this, Ginny! How many times have we been besieged by problems?"

"The school's bound to close!" she sniffed. "No parent will want their son or daughter here, now! Last June, it was Vol…, Vol…, Voldemort and his army," she stuttered. "That day _changed_ me, as you know. But I was lucky! There were too many deaths that day… Now the pupils are starting to die – _again_. What's to stop the staff from being next, Harry?" Ginny's eyes stared straight into Harry's. Her hand held his tightly. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

Harry felt a hard lump in his throat. He was about to say that he was capable of looking after himself. After all, he'd survived too many dangers – including Nagini, and Voldemort himself! But how was he to avoid a mysterious…plague?

_How long will it be before my luck runs out…?_

"I don't want to lose you either, Ginny." He kissed her on the lips. Ginny returned his affection in kind, and hugged him fiercely – until it was deemed necessary for them to both come up for air.

Once she got her breath back, Ginny stroked Harry's jaw.

"Harry…" She looked at him with moist eyes. "…let me bite you."

For a moment, Harry was too numbed to speak. "Sorry?" he eventually managed to say.

"I'm a sentient werewolf now – like Professor Lupin. So is Ron," Ginny announced softly. "It's only on a full moon night you need fear us. Become my werewolf companion, Harry. Please! Then you'll be immune to this…Blight."

"Crikey… Ginny!" Harry allowed the sudden dizziness in his head to subside. "What about Hermione…? She'll feel…left out…if I joined you and Ron…on that road."

Ginny gave a small smile. "Ron's told me he would love to have Hermione become his equal as a fellow werewolf. In turn, I said to him that I understood, and that I felt the same way with regard to you. We can be a pack together, Harry! The Professor, me, Ron, Hermione, and you. We'll be the werewolf protectors of Hogwarts. If you want to…"

"Er…Wow!" Harry felt himself blushing at the thought of romantic werewolves howling together at night, in the Forbidden Forest. "I.., I'll think about it! But what would the Professor say? And the Headmaster?"

Ginny's lips twitched upwards again. "He's already told me and Ron… Professor Lupin has argued for the provisional case of having a werewolf guard to help defend Hogwarts from a future invasion by the remains of You-Know-Who's armies. The Headmaster backed his case – and since there are few good werewolves around, the Ministry has reluctantly given authorization, in the current national situation, for a few people to be initiated and trained as good werewolves. Willing volunteers, of course. Those who pass the required aptitude tests. So…" Ginny rubbed her nose teasingly against Harry's cheek. "What do you say to that? I won't think any less of you, Harry, if you refuse the offer. "The apprenticeship in being a werewolf isn't…"

"…easy. I've gathered that." Harry held Ginny to him, as they lay down on the ground. He carefully thought the whole issue through.

"I just want you to be safe from this disease – like me! I want you to _live_," Ginny announced simply. She was struggling to hold back her deeper emotions now, Harry knew – fearful, no doubt, that he would respect her less, after her bold suggestion.

Harry pulled himself away from her and got up. He was silent for some minutes, whilst he walked over to the ledge that overlooked the loch. Ginny remained where she was, allowing him to mull her offer over. But after a couple of minutes she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Take… Take as long as you like." Ginny's voice trembled. "Sleep on it."

Harry turned and redirected his clear green eyes towards her. "No need. I've decided, Ginny."

She bowed her head, awaiting his judgment.

Don't let her suffer for too long, Harry…, he told himself.

"I'll become your pack-brother."

Ginny raised her face, her eyes wide. She then leapt up, squealed, and hugged him. "Thank you!"

He squeezed her back. "On one condition."

"Name it." She smiled widely.

"Hermione must give her consent to be…initiated…as well. I don't want her to feel left out alone. Either we join together freely – or not at all."

Ginny nodded eagerly. "I accept! Let's tell the others…"

* * * * *

Three days later, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione entered the Shrieking Shack together as dusk fell, and the waxing crescent moon followed the sun towards the western horizon. Professor Lupin and Tonks were there to welcome them, and offer flasks of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate to help ward off both their nerves and the slight chill of the cool October evening.

"Well," Lupin began, as he nodded to Harry and Hermione. "I admire your bravery. If either of you wants to back out, say so now."

Hermione looked nervous as she swallowed – but she managed to smile. "We know that you're an excellent teacher on this subject, Professor. Ron and Ginny speak highly of you."

Both of the Weasleys smiled.

"You remember what I said about cats not taking kindly to werewolves, even in their human skins, Hermione?" Lupin pointed out to her.

"Yes…" She looked sad. "I've said my farewell to Cruckshanks, Professor. He's now being looked after by my cousin in Oxfordshire. Hagrid took him over there."

Harry felt sorry for Hermione having to part company with her feline companion at Hogwarts. But it would be for the best. "We want to do as much as we can to defend the school and those who dwell in it, Professor," he declared, changing the subject.

"We appreciate that, Harry. And you wouldn't be here if you hadn't passed the Ministry's aptitude tests for this…werewolf membership…scheme," Tonks pointed out. She looked wistful, and as Harry and his friends watched, the Animagus' hair changed colour from pink to brown, betraying her inner sadness. "As you know, I can't become a werewolf," she declared.

There was a pause, as the Weasleys and the two would-be initiates finished their drinks, and looked at each other expectantly.

"You know how it will work? And understand why I've not chosen a full-moon night?" Lupin quizzed Harry and Hermione.

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered first. "You're going to first inject a magical substance into us two, which will accelerate the werewolf condition in our bloodstream when Ron and Ginny…bite us."

"That way, we'll get in some experience in being werewolves, and attempting self-control – before the full moon," Hermione elaborated. "And, of course, Harry and I will only half-transform. We'll have to learn how to achieve the full change as we adapt and become more adept with our new natures."

Ron's hand found Hermione's. He kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks for agreeing to this, 'Mione."

She swallowed her fear. "I want to take a direct stand against the Death Eaters, Ron. Magic won't be our _only_ defence against them. And, of course…I'm doing this for _us_. For all of us." Her eyes took in everyone present.

"Shall we get started?" Ginny twitched nervously. She stood up, not wanting to prolong the uneasy atmosphere in the ramshackled room.

Harry nodded. "Please do." He tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

Ron stepped forwards, and patted Harry on the back. "If a dunderhead like me can get used to it and progress…"

"You have, Ron. Admirably so," Lupin interrupted.

"…Well, there you go. It should be a doddle for you, Harry. We'll be wolf-brothers."

"Thanks, Ron." Harry shook his friend's shoulder in appreciation – and then he was ready for the needle. Lupin injected him with the accelerant, and then he was heading upstairs with Ginny leading him by the hand. He flashed Hermione a reassuring smile. She still looked uncomfortable, but her lips twitched and she raised a hand in response.

Harry and Ginny entered a shabby-looking room, with a simple wooden bed and some broken furniture. There were claw marks on the torn, faded wallpaper.

Ginny gently pushed Harry onto the edge of the bed, where he sat, eyes widening as she began to undress – starting with her shoes.

"Let me know where you want me to bite you, Harry," she said.

"You're…? You're going to change – here!?"

She paused, and giggled. "I guess human modesty has gradually become less important since I became I werewolf. Ron and I have already…changed…together. And after tonight, when you have developed self-control too, we can shape shift in each other's company. Don't be ashamed, Harry! Soon, you – like me – will be wearing nothing except fur… Now, where should I bite you?"

"Oh! Right…" He took off his jacked and rolled up his shirt sleeve, to expose the soft flesh of his left forearm. "Here will do."

Ginny nodded, then resumed her undressing.

Taking in her nude form, Harry swallowed, then got up and kissed Ginny on the lips. He kept his hands on her shoulders.

"Last chance to refuse my gift," she whispered.

"I'm glad you didn't say curse," Harry noted.

"It's a double-edged sword," Ginny reflected thoughtfully. "It can be a curse, or a disability. But to me it's a case of control, and accepting the wolf's power as an opportunity to do good things – not evil deeds."

"And an opportunity to be a creature in tune with nature itself," Harry added.

"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Do you want me to share my gift with you?"

"Definitely."

"Here goes, then…" Ginny closed her eyes and concentrated.

Harry retreated into a corner of the room as he watched his girlfriend's form blur slightly with the displacement of body cells. Ginny's bones, muscles, and joints all simultaneously – and smoothly – shifted into different positions. Ginger-brown hair began to grow from her limbs and flattening chest, before spreading out and joining up to form a thickening carpet of fur that covered her transforming body. Her tail formed, detaching itself from the base of her spine. Hands and feet shifted and turned into paws, even as Ginny's posture changed to that of a quadruped.

Fascinated by the transformation he was witnessing, Harry's heart hammered in his chest. Ginny gasped, then her voice became deeper, with the thickening of her now fur-coated neck. Her ears stretched towards the top of her cranium, developing arrowhead-like points – and her mouth and darkening nose pushed out from the rest of her face, with a series of 'crunches', to form a muzzle. The long ginger hair became shorter and retreated swiftly into her skull until it was less than an inch long, then it changed texture and blended in with her cranial fur.

Moments later, Ginny's eyes turned amber. Her slavering fangs grew into place. The same fangs that had ended the life of Lucius Malfoy. With a low growl, Ginny fell forwards onto her front paws. There, she panted and recovered from her exertions. She was now a fully-fledged, girl-sized wolf.

Summoning his courage, Harry nervously eased himself onto the floor on one knee, drawing up close to the Ginny-wolf. He slowly held out his hand, which his companion sniffed at, before licking it. She stared at him with her captivating animal eyes – eyes which seemed to reflect the human intellect behind them.

"You're…beautiful!" Harry breathed. "Even more so…than when you were…in hybrid form, Ginny." He gently rubbed her along the neck, finding the fur rough. He felt the muscles and warmth underneath. She rewarded him with a whine, then rubbed herself against his chest.

It was almost like having a pet dog – but, of course, she was far more than that.

I'll be like this soon…, he reminded himself. Do I want it? To be as kin to Professor Lupin, Ron, and Ginny?

Fingers trembling, Harry rolled up his sleeve and bared his forearm to her, as the wolf pulled back.

Yes, I do…

"Ready when you are, Ginny," he whispered.

She blinked, then stretched her jaws forward. Seizing his forearm firmly, she sank her sharp teeth carefully into his flesh.

Harry yelled.

It was not a deep bite, but Ginny held him in place for some moments – passing on as much saliva as she could. Then she released him, licked at the blood from the bite, and backed away, her pointed ears now twitching back and forth.

There were noises coming from elsewhere in the Shrieking Shack, but the two of them ignored the sounds. Harry reached for the prepared jar of cotton wool lying on the bed, to help stem the flow of blood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw and heard the wonder of the transformation again – this time in reverse, as Ginny changed back into her human persona. Getting her breath back after the process, she slipped on her clothes again – then helped to dress Harry's wound, using the first-aid kit left in the room.

When she was done, she looked Harry squarely in the eyes. "Are you all right so far, Harry?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "How long do we wait for the injection to deliver the goods?"

"Anything between half an hour to an hour. So the Professor told us…"

Ginny was interrupted by a knock at the door. She answered it, and stuck her head out. Harry heard Tonks whispering to her in an anxious tone. He tried to get up from where he was sitting on the bed, but the effort made him light-headed – and he decided to let himself recover from the bite by staying where he was.

After a minute, Ginny closed the door again, and sat down besides Harry. Her expression was glum.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Ron and Hermione were in their room downstairs, ready for the moment of…initiation. Ron had transformed, and was about to bite Hermione – when she panicked, and opened the window. She's left the shack!"

Harry's mouth dropped open. "What…!? Where is she now?"

"She's fled to another empty building and slipped into a storeroom. She's blocked the door. Ron and the Professor have tried to reassure her – but she's still in there." Ginny smiled sadly. "Guess I would feel the same, if I was preparing for something like a parachute jump from a muggle aeroplane. She told me that's what she was comparing this evening to."

Harry's face fell, but he nodded sympathetically. "We were supposed to transform together," he announced numbly. "To be like brother and sister."

"She may yet become our kindred, Harry. We've just got to help her conquer her fear. In the end, it's her choice. As for us, we're to stay here."

Harry felt Ginny lean on his shoulder, and his spirits lifted. As one, they lay down on the bed and snuggled up together. Nothing more than that. They simply kept each other warm in the unheated, dimly-lit room as they glanced at a wall-mounted clock, and waited for Harry's new nature to awake and assert itself.

"The first time is the most grueling, Harry," Ginny whispered in his ear. "I know you're brave. Be brave for me!"

"I'll try." He smiled nervously.

About half an hour later, it happened. First, the scent of Ginny's perfume seemed to become stronger in the room, and Harry thought he could hear the steady beat of a heart other than his own. Then he started to feel hot, and Ginny urged him not to be worried about modesty, but to completely undress. He did so – and left his glasses on the bed. Then suddenly he developed a fever, and he collapsed onto the floor. Ginny cooled him down with a prepared damp flannel – then took her clothes off again. She began to transform in time with Harry.

Feeling as though his blood was on fire, Harry cried out. His bones and muscles ached madly, as they dissolved enough to change shape and twist into new formations – the sensation accompanied by the gruesome music of his bones crunching and stretching inside of him, even as other parts became shorter. The pressure building up in Harry's lower spine was relieved as his tail erupted from above his rear – both it and the rest of his altered body grew a coating of dark hairs that fanned outwards to cover him, like a fast-forward cinefilm of grass growing. His fingers shrank, retreating into his hands – which were developing pads – and the nails became thicker as they changed into claws.

"Aaaggghhh!" Harry cried out, his voice beginning to sound deep. Guttural. The pores all over his skin prickled with the growth of myriad hairs that were joining together to form his pelt. His coat of fur.

His body twitching with the effects of the transformation, he felt the tightness in his skull start to ease off as his darkening nose and jaw pushed themselves forward to form his new muzzle. His now-longer tongue licked itself against the enlarged teeth in his mouth. Harry growled, and relished the power he sensed growing within him. At the same time, his pointed ears twitched in their new positions at the top of his reshaped skull.

The sensations of the final changes came to a merciful end. Harry rested on his side upon the floor, as he allowed his warmer body to recover. His tongue lolled out of his open mouth. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

The room now looked washed out. He saw the walls and furniture in shades of black, grey, and white. The only colour visible in the room was coming from both himself and the humanoid wolf that was crouched down before him.

_Body heat_, a tiny voice in his head announced. He was seeing the world as other lupines saw it.

Countless scents flooded into Harry's nose. He was now aware of the _pitter-patter_ of a pair of mice somewhere underneath the floorboards. The room itself smelt of dust and neglect, and also of the humans that had been inside. One of him being _his _own, recent scent.

The dominant smell, however, was a musky animal one. It was female. He didn't know how he could tell that – apart from human logic – but his lupine senses _knew_, and so he accepted the fact. And accompanying that, there were more subtle scents – those of…yes, pride…and love.

The young wolf-woman before him growled and extended a half-paw to Harry. He managed to grab it with his stunted fingers, and was helped up.

Harry found himself balancing upon the balls of his rear paws. It felt strange at first, but then he began to slowly take a few steps. Gaining confidence, he walked with his companion over to the mirror set above the dressing table, close by. There, he saw the two humanoid wolves staring back at him. Harry was clear-headed enough to realise that the figure on the left was a reflection of the beautiful she-werewolf besides him. The other, dark-furred lupine was male – and Harry, in growing excitement, knew that it was himself. He ran his half paws along his altered body, feeling the thick fur, the taut muscles, his twitching tail, his muzzle and fangs, and even his whiskers.

The padding stuck over his bite wound had fallen off during the change, and Harry examined where Ginny's fangs had struck. The wound had healed totally. He now had the enhanced recuperation powers that were attributed to his new kind.

Harry gave a howl of happiness. He felt charged with energy, and a previously-unrealised sense of profound awareness.

_I am…wolf… _We _are…wolf!_

Harry turned to the wolf girl besides him. She was returning his lupine grin. They both sniffed at each other, then they rubbed noses – eager to exchange their scents.

_Creator… Friend… Sister, _Harry's now-animal mind reflected to itself.

_Come… Eat…_ It wasn't a voice. The she-werewolf had titled her head and licked her fangs, before turning to the prepared portions of cold chicken and beef still in their plastic bags, in one corner of the room. Harry knew that he was starting to learn the body language – the non-verbal communication – of werewolves. And yet, he realized, there was an element of telepathy to it. Ginny's eyes and motions conveyed words to him. With time and practice, he would be able to 'speak' the same language himself.

His stomach rumbled. He was hungry after the energy-burning experience of his first change. The meat smelt appetising.

Growling together, he and Ginny snatched up the uncooked meat and tore into it eagerly.

* * * * *

After their meal, the two werewolves headed downstairs – Harry taking care with the rail, as Ginny led the way. On the ground floor, he sniffed at Tonks, who kept herself still – wand at the ready. She managed a smile, as Harry allowed her to gingerly rub his head.

_Two leg… Fur on top changes tone…, _he reflected to himself, as he regarded the Animagus. _Not wolf… Human. But belongs with pack… Friend…_

Harry shifted his attention to the adult wolf man who now confronted Harry. The elder lupine growled softly.

The part of Harry's mind that was still human remembered what he'd been told to do at this stage of the pack-forming process…

He suppressed the instinct to growl back, and instead allowed the Lupin-werewolf to hold him around the neck with his teeth. Harry did not offer any resistance, and fell upon his knees. He whined faintly.

_Accept the pack alpha... _The wolf half of him submitted to the command of his human voice.

After a long moment, Lupin released Harry and licked at the imprint left by his fangs. The wound soon healed.

_Welcome, Harry, _Lupin communicated to him. _You are now our pack-brother._

Harry inclined his head forwards, to express his thanks.

_Come – Harry, Ginny… We must join Ron and Hermione. Can you trail them, Harry?_

Harry flared his nostrils, accepting the challenge. He raised his nose to examine the smells still present downstairs, and he soon identified a female human scent that was not Ginny's or Tonks'. He led his kin to the room which Ron and Hermione had retreated to. Here, he noted that Ron's human scent had turned wolf – and using his nose, he followed both of the invisible trails of his friends through the open window.

Outside, he loped across the dark, deserted alleyway, leading Professor Lupin, Ginny, and Tonks to outside the storeroom in the next building, where the Ron-werewolf was still whining.

He perked up upon seeing his new brother. Ron and Harry sniffed at each other, before nuzzling jaws, to affirm their pack allegiance. Meanwhile, Tonks used the light at the tip of her wand for everyone to see by in the darkness of the warehouse-like building.

"Ron…? Who-who's joined you?" Hermione's soft, fearful voice was clear to Harry. Watched by the others, Ron and Harry let out low whines at the door.

"Ha-Harry!?"

He whined again, in confirmation.

There was a long pause. Then Hermione spoke again

"All – all right. I'll…I'll open up." There was the noise of heavy boxes being moved aside, then the door swung open to reveal Hermione, still fully-dressed, staring wide-eyed at the two male werewolves who were her friends. Harry sniffed at her, taking in his friend's fear, and also registering her growing sense of wonder. She reached out a trembling hand and felt the fur around his right temple.

"Harry… It is you! You've still got your scar here! You've – you've not gone…feral?"

He slowly shook his head.

Hermione took in a deep breath, then addressed both Tonks and the four werewolves. Harry saw her eyes moistening.

"I'm…I'm sorry, everyone. I'm not ready for this. The thought of being bitten… It makes me squirm! I thought I could get through what I had to… I didn't even take the injection…"

There was a pause, which was broken by Ron's whining. Harry too, was feeling despondent now – and he sensed the disappointment of his fellow werewolves, as they hung their heads.

Tonks stepped over to comfort Hermione. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's your life, and your choice."

Hermione was silently crying now as she reached out and stroked firstly Ron, then Harry. "So…, so sorry Ron, Harry…, Pro-professor…, Ginny…" Her voice faded away as Tonks led Hermione back to the Shrieking Shack.

Ron raised his head and howled, to express his emotions. Then the younger werewolves turned to their alpha, for guidance.

_Let us head for the forest and hunt, my young friends…,_ he decided. _Do not resent Hermione. One day, she may yet conquer her fear. In the meantime, let us enjoy the night!_

Ginny nodded, and added her 'voice'. _Let us celebrate the addition of Harry to our company, _she declared.

A glum-looking Ron and Harry acknowledged the wisdom of their alpha's decision. Keeping to the shadows, the werewolf pack slipped away from the building, on the edge of Hogsmeade, and sprinted away – on all fours – heading for the forest, ready to begin the night's hunting…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Developments And Divination**

The next fortnight was a busy one. Harry, Hermione and Ron all had their work and study duties to see to. And, when necessary, help to discipline unruly pupils. Harry, however, now had the extra task of studying himself where it came to the subject of lycanthropy.

He was gradually coming to terms with the fact that he – like Ginny and Ron – was now a dual-being of the supernatural world. Twice a week, he was taking tuition in the evenings from Professor Lupin. Ron and Ginny were there too, working on the speed and control of their voluntary shifts from human to wolf-person (or full wolf), and back. For Harry, he was just starting to get the basics of calling upon the change of his own accord – and, with effort, transform into a wolf man. With repeated exercises and time, he would do better – he promised himself. He wanted to be just as good as his pack-mates, in order to be a worthy guardian of Hogwarts.

Still, Lupin seemed pleased with all three of them – especially Ron and Ginny, who were, to use their teacher's own words: "developing remarkably well".

With Ginny's time being taken up with NEWTS exams, these sessions were one of the few times that Harry could get to be with his… Well, not mate – because they hadn't explored that area yet. 'Companion' sounded like the perfect term, Harry thought. And the four pack-members were becoming fiercely loyal to each other now, as a result of them being of the same nature. And effectively of the same blood. Professor Lupin had bitten Ginny, both had initiated Ron; and Harry had been brought into the werewolf fold by Ginny.

As Harry had feared, the fact that Hermione had not joined the pack along with him had its knock-on effects. Although he had accepted Hermione's decision not to become a werewolf, Ron was trying to get over his phase of being grumpy in her company. Likewise, all of them were doing what they could to avoid Hermione feeling that she was being left out socially – apart from the 'special night classes', which she did not attend.

Still, although the ongoing relationship between Ron and Hermione had cooled somewhat for the time being, Harry and Ginny were developing a greater need for each other's company.

_I'll soon be seventeen. Then we will both be adults in the eyes of the wizarding world,_ Ginny commented to Harry, as they lay in the Forbidden Forest together, one night. They had earlier voluntary shifted to half-form form – along with Ron – and all three had just finished off the last remains of the mice they had hunted down. The Professor was still in his human skin, spending some time with Tonks, Harry understood.

Harry was becoming more proficient at understanding – and communicating – in their lupine telepathy/body language. He watched Ron lying on his side, close by, who occasionally turned his attention to his pack-mates, before returning his gaze to the moon above. Harry sensed that Ron was still feeling somewhat peeved about Hermione not joining the fold. That he could not share these nights with her.

It was strange, but good, being this way – Harry reflected. He – along with Ron and Ginny – belonged here in the forest, at night. They always stayed clear of the centaur community (the haras), as well as the territory of the giant spiders – but otherwise _they_ were the monsters in the dark, free to tackle what game they so chose (they mainly hunted rabbits, mice, and voles). And be as free of human concerns as they ever would be, if they simply were content to spend the night hunting, running, and playing between themselves. As they often were.

_Let us enjoy this night whilst it lasts,_ Harry thought to his pack brother and pack-sister as they all bathed in the moonlight. _We still have a threat to the school to fight. And when we have identified the source…_

Ron and Ginny licked their fangs and nodded. Everyone in the school was now their responsibility to protect. And they would uphold that duty – by magic, or by way of the fang and claw…

* * * * *

Despite their efforts, the staff had not yet identified the source of the Blight - but there were no further poisonings or deaths in the following week. However, several things happened in the next few days that were of interest to Harry. First of all, there were some new arrivals at the wizarding village of Hogsmeade. Ron, who was still feeling disgruntled since Hermione backed out from becoming a werewolf, was cheered up by the appearance of his boisterous brothers Fred and George, as they moved into a new branch of their joke shop 'Weasleys Wizard Wheezes'. Verity, their assistant, was looking after the original Diagon Alley store, whilst the brothers got the second shop up and running.

Also setting up a shop in Hogsmeade was another Gryffindor face, Neville Longbottom. True to his skills in herbology, he was now acting as a trader in herbs.

"Glad to see you again, Neville," Harry announced as he shook the hand of the other young man upon his first visit to the shop, one Saturday. "It was June the last time we saw each other, I reckon."

"It was." Neville's smile and his follow-up small talk gave way to a wide-eyed whisper, as the other shop browsers hung around the front door. "Er, Harry… How's it going with Ginny, these days? I was in the Great Hall when she got…bit…by Professor Lupin. I'm assuming she's…a werewolf herself, now?"

Harry considered his words. Thankfully, the two pupils who had been browsing were now leaving the shop. He waited for the door to close, and then he smiled.

"She's fine, Neville. And yes, she's now a lycanthrope – but she's in control of her wolf."

"Wow! I know you two are an item. But…Harry Potter dating a werewolf? That'll ruffle some feathers if it became common knowledge!"

"Do you think that my girlfriend being a werewolf is a bad thing?" Harry tested him.

"No! So long as she's not a man-eater, Harry… Oh, you know what I mean! As far as I'm concerned, it's about time the silly old prejudices about blood and race got kicked out. If you and Ginny are happy with your arrangements, it's fine by me!"

Harry smiled at this. Then, trusting his gut instinct, he checked there was no one else around, before speaking again. "Neville, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure!"

"I'm now a werewolf, also! I want to be able to defend Hogwarts from any kind of threat that comes here. And, of course, I'm Ginny's hunting companion."

"Oh…! Crikey!!" Neville's eyes widened. He raised a finger to his lips. "Mum's the word from me, Harry!"

The shop door bell suddenly rang. The jangle pained Harry's wolf-sensitive ears. He took in the scent of the female student before he actually turned round – his eyes then confirming the age and gender of the newcomer. She was a slim, but pretty-looking, dark-blonde haired young lady, who Harry recognised as being a seventh year Hufflepuff pupil. Her metal-framed spectacles supported two small, oval shaped lenses, through which a pair of intelligent-looking blue eyes looked keenly at him.

"Hullo, Mr Potter." She smiled serenely, taking in the sight of the two former pupils chatting. "Catching up on old times, I guess?"

"We are." Neville grinned. "Harry, meet my weekend assistant, Charlotte. She's almost as good with herbs as I am – but then she's one of Professor Sprout's best pupils, so it's no wonder."

Harry shook the blushing girl's light hand. "Hello Charlotte. What's your surname, if I have to address you in different circumstances? Me being new to staff…"

"Oh. It's Greenway. I believe you know my cousin, Alex. For a Slytherin, he's actually open-minded. He and his friends don't hate you for killing You-Know-Who, Harry. You're finally making some friends in unlikely places! Anyway, I've got duties waiting. Good to see you!"

Harry gazed at the back of the disappearing girl, lost for words.

"She's sometimes more batty than Luna Lovegood." Neville shrugged, grinning. "But she's a good soul… Ah! Here comes my business partner!"

Harry was surprised to see the latest person coming through the shop door. It was a smiling, light-brown haired man – who, until last June, had been a Hufflepuff student in Harry and Neville's year.

"Harry! Good to see you." Ernie MacMillan shook Harry's hand in a firm grip, as Harry patted him on the shoulder.

"Another one who couldn't stay away from Hogwarts, I see!" Harry smiled.

"Well, the market for magical aids – herbs and otherwise – is still good, whilst the Death Eaters are still at large." Ernie's voice suddenly dropped, and his expression became serious. "Besides, Neville and I – and our assistant – hear things on the grapevine, Harry. A few of the pupils we knew have disappeared over the summer! Zacharias Smith for one – and Romilda Vane, also. We've learnt a bit about those other pupils – the ones who died recently in the school and were turned to stone! Looks like Hogwarts is under attack again. Will the Death Eaters come back?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, the staff reckons so. But we're still trying to crack this mystery epidemic. We're in the dark about how it's being spread."

As Harry spoke, Charlotte Greenway emerged back into the shop front from the staff archway behind the counter. She was carrying a tray of herbal containers, ready to restock the shelves. But she paused, upon hearing Harry's words.

"We want to help, if we can," she announced brightly. "Horace Slughorn, the potions teacher, has approached us to see about acquiring anything useful. Apparently, there's a shortage of polyjuice ingredients these days."

Neville nodded. "Yes, that's true. Makes me think about that imposter at Hogwarts, during our fourth year, Harry! Hope the Death Eaters aren't disguising themselves with polyjuice potion."

"And we don't have to think in purely magical terms, when it comes to helping the school," Ernie spoke up. "During the summer, I was introduced to the sport of archery by a muggle friend. I fancy I could learn more from the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest – if we could be officially allowed to meet up."

Harry considered their words, then thought of Ron's plans for setting up a system of defences.

"Yes. We ought to start a network again…," he replied. "It was gratifying to form Dumbledore's Army, wasn't it?"

"It was," Neville beamed. "Maybe we can call it the Hogwarts Home Guard this time!" His face then hardened. "If Bellatrix Lestrange and the other Death Eaters show up again, they'll have more than wands to worry about - if we plan this right!"

_Right…_, thought Harry. Neville was still aching to get Bellatrix for driving his parents insane, years ago. And yet, he considered, hadn't he himself been driven by the wish to avenge his parents? As well as to protect his friends and allies?

He looked carefully at Neville, Charlotte and Ernie – taking in their eager expressions.

"I'll talk to Ron, and get the ball rolling," he announced, smiling. "Let's make the Hogwarts Home Guard a reality, guys!"

* * * * *

And so, after Harry and Ron discussed plans with Professor Flitwick and the other senior personnel at Hogwarts, the various ideas of collective people got underway. Ernie Macmillan, who was keen to learn from the centaurs their knowledge of archery, went with the school's resident centaur teacher – the outcast Firenze – and Professor Flitwick. As a result of the meeting with the centaur haras, the headmaster was able to persuade the other centaurs that their grievances with Firenze and humankind could be settled. Also, although the haras had kept out of the fighting when Voldemort's forces had ignored them when they invaded in June, it was no secret that, had they won, the Death Eaters would have turned their attention onto the centaurs, and persecuted them for being 'impure'.

The results of the talks were favourable to all concerned. The centaurs agreed that – working with Firenze – they would come to the aid of Hogwarts, in its time of greatest need. Also, they would help the Hogwarts Home Guard in the use of weapons – archery, sling-slots, knife-throwing, and so on.

Later on that same day, however, there was another fatally from the Blight. This time it was an adult – a young bar hand at The Three Broomsticks, by the name of Dale Dillinger. He'd been seeing to his duties away from the bar during the afternoon, when he suddenly developed a fit, and died in a matter of minutes. He'd been living in Hogsmeade for the last ten years – since leaving school, and had been, Harry heard, a regular face at all of the shops in the village. Now, he too had become 'glued' to his death bed in the pub – his face contorted in agony. One on his hands had been pressed against his stomach as he died.

Professor Moody had together told Harry and Professor Slughorn about the circumstances. Harry noticed that the potions teacher had looked very thoughtful – and worried – as they went their separate ways.

* * * * *

The next day, during morning break, Harry came across Ginny running in the corridor, as she came down the tower that led to Divination class. She was upset – and, at first, tried to evade Harry as he brushed past a couple of pupils and hurried over to her.

"Hey! Ginny… I mean Miss Weasley! What's wrong? Why are you running?"

"I…" Ginny gulped for breath. Keeping her voice low, she managed to blurt out, "I need some time alone, Harry… Please. Oh, it was horrible…"

Harry hated to see her distressed, but he felt reluctant to hold her against her will. Ginny hurried off, disappearing into the crowd of mingling pupils further along the corridor.

Coming down the stairs, seconds later, was Luna Lovegood.

"Hi, Harry," her face brightening as they met. "Do you know where Ginny went?"

Harry pointed behind him with his thumb, but his other hand pressed against Luna's wrist, stopping her. "What's going on? Why's Ginny crying?" He almost snapped.

Luna paused, then answered. "Ginny and I were the last ones coming out of Divination class, when Professor Trelawney grabbed her. The Professor appeared to be in a trance, Harry." Her grey eyes were wide with concern. "I only caught some of the seer's words…"

"Trelawney!" Harry had learnt from experience that most of the ramblings of the hippie-like and bespectacled Divination tutor were very much open to interpretation. However, underneath her talents for over-prophesying gloom and meditating via the medium of sherry, Trelawney _did_ have some ability for foreseeing the future.

"What did she say to Ginny?" Harry gripped Luna's shoulders – then relaxed his hands as he saw her wince.

"There was something about a terror about to rise…within Hogwarts… And that the darkness…and the blood of a wolf…would claim each other… The voice that came out of Trelawney, Harry… It was unearthly…"

The school bell, in the bell tower, was suddenly struck by the attendant house-elf, signaling the start of the next lesson.

"I've heard that voice myself, Luna," Harry nodded. "Thanks for telling me. See if you can find and look after Ginny for me. I'm going to be late for my next Auror lesson."

Luna smiled. "Ginny's my friend too, you know, Harry. "I'll do my best for her." She gave Harry's hand a quick squeeze, then quickly scampered off, humming as she stopped and weighed up the choice of corridors nearby, in order to find Ginny.

_I didn't see which way she went…_

Harry paused, then re-joined Luna. His nostrils widened as he tried to filter out Ginny's special scent from that of the other pupils. Eventually, he pointed out the route where the trail in the air seemed to continue.

"Try that way," he suggested to her.

"Thanks, Harry!" Luna beamed at him, then she broke into a light run and disappeared around the corner, leaving Harry to marvel at his improving senses.

* * * * *

Despite his efforts, Harry couldn't get Ginny to talk about the incident the next time he saw her. Whatever Trelawney, in her trance, had said to her – Ginny had been badly shaken by it. She was, in the days following, tense and preoccupied.

"Please forget about it, Harry." She had difficulty looking him in the eye as she said this – but she then surprised him, by kissing him hard on the lips.

After that, Harry didn't raise the subject with her. As far as he could gather, Ginny didn't confide in Luna, Ron, or Hermione about the incident involving Trelawney, either – though Ron was certainly aware of Ginny's sullen mood, and was just as concerned for her. And as for asking the Professor herself, Harry tried just that, only to run into the expected brick wall – the Divination teacher never remembered anything she said whilst in a trance.

* * * * *

A few days later, Ginny had her eighteenth birthday. The event seemed to cheer her up somewhat, and on the day itself – a Saturday – she proved her worth in the Gryffindor team in the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. As one of the chasers, she scored forty points – and although Hufflepuff caught the Golden Snitch, ending the game, at the last moment her team work with another Gryffindor chaser helped up ensuring that their team scored with the Quaffle - bagging them another ten points.

The end result turned out to be Hufflepuff, one hundred and eighty points; Gryffindor, one hundred and ninety points.

Naturally, there was much cheering and congratulations amongst the scarlet-robed team on the pitch after the game, with Ginny receiving particular praise.

This time when Harry went up to her, they kissed each other on the lips, prompting a few 'oo's from those in the Gryffindor team who weren't already aware of their relationship.

I don't care what anyone else thinks, Harry thought to himself. I love Ginny, and she loves me. Plus, we're of the same species. We belong together. And it's her birthday, too.

Ginny lost herself in his kiss. For a moment, Harry had the lupine instinct to nip at her ear – but he managed to resist doing it in the presence of others.

"You were fabulous in that game!" Harry told her, as they walked off the pitch together.

"Thanks, Harry." Ginny was grinning – the first time he had seen her happy since that undisclosed upset involving Trelawney, Harry reflected.

"Looking forward to your party tonight?" He smiled.

"Yes." Ginny grinned impishly, then whispered in his ear. "After the party, let's go hunting in the forest, Harry!"

He felt a ripple of pleasure run through his veins at the thought of them casting aside their human personas for a while. He had by now, under Professor Lupin's tutorials, succeeded in undergoing the transformation of his own accord. The moon would only be a crescent tonight. It would be a good time to howl and allow the wolf inside to run.

* * * * *

Harry's present to Ginny was a gold bracelet, which she wore at the gathering of friends in the function room at The Hog's Head inn, at Hogsmeade – where the first gathering of (the then unnamed) Dumbledore's Army had taken place. On this night, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Neville, Ernie, and Charlotte Greenway were all there – plus Professors Moody and Lupin, Tonks, and some of Ginny's female friends, including Luna.

Later on, when the music and dancing was over and the party was ending, Ginny all but dragged Harry outside. They laughed and raced each other to the Shrieking Shack. There, Ginny slipped out of her red silk dress, and Harry took off the black suit and tie he'd been wearing. His glasses were placed on top of his folded up clothes.

Within moments, the two young adults were transforming in tandem – their limbs and bones reshaping themselves, as claws, fur, and pointed ears grew into place. Tails wagged as they emerged from the base of their spines, and both Harry and Ginny growled through grown muzzles filled with sharpening fangs.

Senses heightened and hearts pounding with excitement, the pair of fully-fledged wolves nuzzled each other, then squeezed through a gap in the Shack's side door, and raced off into the early November night on all fours – howling once they had reached the Forbidden Forest.

After sharing the kill of the hares they hunted down, Harry and Ginny licked each other's muzzles clean. Then the she-wolf gave her male companion a meaningful stare. Her russet fur began to recede into her skin, and before long Ginny was back in her human skin again. Harry concentrated, and followed suit. Naked, the two of them smiled and snuggled up against each other, listening to the night sounds of the forest. A light wind blew, rustling the fallen leaves. Neither of them was cold – the trees close by provided shelter, and they were still warm from their hunt.

Close by, they could hear – then see – a unicorn passing by. Harry smiled. Hagrid had done well to find another one for the forest. And it would come to no harm from the werewolf pack. It was special – like them.

Ginny's eyes widened as she saw the creature pass by – the first time she'd seen a unicorn, Harry guessed. Then she turned round to face him.

"Harry… It's time."

He smelt her apprehension. There was fear, too. Whatever it was that had so troubled her lately, she was trying to push it aside. But Ginny's scent was also laced with mounting excitement, and hope – despite the hunt being over.

He understood her meaning.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes! Let's make the most of life, whilst we can, Harry." Ginny slipped her arms around his shoulders , and he embraced her in turn. Moments later, they sank down together on the forest grass, their lips locked together, Harry's hands exploring Ginny's body – and she responded in kind with his – as they both gave into their mutual passion…

After resting, they would resume wolf form and play tag and race against the other, en route to the Shrieking Shack. Then the two of them would sleep in one of the rooms there, snuggled against each other's fur to keep warm. But for now, they were together as one – as they had never been before.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Long Night Begins…**

Two days later - on the evening of the first day in November - Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves in the midst of a four-way spell battle between them and Professor Moody.

They had done this sort of thing before, in the Room of Requirement, firing spells at each other, whilst conjuring magical defences, ducking and diving behind and around the broken furniture barricades. Usually, Harry and Professor Moody were the last two standing in their training sessions so far – despite Ron's werewolf reflexes and Hermione's resourcefulness. And then Moody would invariable get the better of Harry.

But now, this time, Harry was also becoming faster and more instinctive – thanks to the werewolf blood in him. On this latest occasion, he was able to dodge Moody's binding spells, and Hermione's attempts to magically unbalance him. But before he could pin Hermione down, she conjured a fireball spell, which scared the wolf deep inside Harry. His panic made him run for cover, and he slipped on the floor, where Moody's ice-forming spell had just been cast.

However, with Moody focusing on Harry, Hermione successfully managed to stun Mad Eye, knocking the Auror out of the battle. The blur – and confusion – of all the action allowed Harry to get back up and fire off a jet of water that struck Hermione down. Her wand was separated from her hand – and thus she lost by the rules of the battle.

"_Levicorpus!"_

Harry yelled as he was swiftly yanked into the air, as if by invisible hands. Before he could perform the counter-spell, Ron had dashed forward and grabbed his friend's wand out of his hand – as Harry turned upside down in mid air. Seconds later, he saw the floor of the chamber zoom away from him – and groaned.

Ron laughed at the sight of the levitating Harry dangling near the ceiling, heels over head. "Got my own back!" He smirked. Harry had tested the same spell against Ron, two years ago.

"Okay!" Harry protested, feeling the blood pound in his head. "Let me down! You do know how, I hope…?"

" 'Course I do!" Ron pointed his wand again at Harry, and barked: _"Liberacorpus!"_

Harry landed, with moderate speed – forming a undignified heap on the floor. Ron helped him up.

Harry dusted himself down, then smiled and shrugged. "Good work, Ron. You won that battle!"

"Indeed, he did," Moody rumbled from where he'd fallen. "Well done, Master Weasley. And the same to Master Potter and Miss Granger! Now, if someone will assist me back up…"

"Uggh! I'm soaking!" Hermione's grumbling voice joined Moody's. She reached for her dropped wand, and used it to cast a tiny globe of fire to help dry her clothes.

"Sorry, Hermione…!" Harry winked at Ron, who grinned back.

"You see to our teacher, Harry. "I'll help 'Mione to recover."

As the four of them left the Room of Requirement and walked along the corridor back to Moody's office, Professor Slughorn hurried towards them in a laboured run, cheeks puffing on either side of his walrus moustache.

"There you are, Alistor…! Harry me'boy…, Mr (wheeze) Weasley…, Miss (gasp) Granger…"

Moody's magical eye rolled in its leather socket. "Trouble, no doubt! What is it, Horace?"

"My tests on the random samples that Mr Filch took from our pupils…(wheeze) have finally nailed down…what could be responsible for the Blight!" Slughorn panted, slowly getting his composure back.

Mad Eye curled his lip with some satisfaction. "Good! I'd hoped that my suggestion on that score would change our fortunes!"

"What have you discovered, Professor?" asked Hermione. Although there had been no recent deaths from the mysterious Blight, the fear of becoming the next victim still gnawed at the minds of almost everyone within Hogwarts. Only Harry, Ron, and Ginny had any guarantee of being immune to the plague-like menace – and then they were still afraid of losing their friends to the mysterious plague. They had all privately asked themselves who would be next to die…

"I've found a minute strain of a dark liquid inside a chocolate frog!" Slughorn wiped at his shiny forehead with a tissue. "I'd checked against the inventories of the three victims – as well as the written testimonies of their friends. In each case, the deceased – or their roommates – had been to the sweetshop in Hogsmeade, Honeydukes, and bought chocolate sweets from them! It looks like this ingredient had been added to a tiny proportion of the chocolate items for sale."

"And what about the people who run the shop?" Harry put to Slughorn.

"Professor Lupin and his friend – Miss Tonks – are heading for Honeydukes now, to spy on them. The Headmaster has been informed!"

"Then we'd better get over there ourselves," declared Ron. "We could…"

"…be practicing your Auror skills for real," Moody snarled. "Might as well! Let's get moving, then."

But Moody had barely struck down his staff to aid his speed of walking, when a familiar, half-squeaky voice was heard, as its owner scurried along the corridor, half-jumping in agitation.

"Master! Mr Potter, sir!"

Harry rolled his eyes. He'd left his two House Elves – Dobby and Kreacher – in the service of the school's kitchen. The sudden appearance of the tiny, pointy-eared and noisy (if well-meaning) Dobby usually meant something bad was afoot.

Harry remembered now that Kreacher had been jinxed some months ago by the Head Chief, for bad behaviour. The result of this had been that Kreacher could not disapparate or apparate (that is, teleport himself) until he'd learnt his lesson and apologised to the other House Elves in the kitchen. So far, he hadn't.

"What is it, Dobby?" Harry squatted down to address the friendlier House Elf, whose head nowadays barely reached Harry's knee.

"Kreacher, sir! He has been acting in a most _fugitive _way of late. Oh yes. Coming and going out of the castle, Mr Potter! But, try as he did, he could not evade Dobby's repeated efforts to follow him. Oh no…"

"Get to the point, Dobby!" Ron shifted his weight from one leg to another, as he listened to this exchange.

"Well, Mr Whizzy…"

"_Weasley_, you nincompoop!!"

"Ron! Let him speak!" Hermione objected.

Ron fell silent, then nodded at Dobby to continue.

"Kreacher's been using a secret tunnel! It goes from Professor Lupin's private rooms, and opens at the other end onto a thicket of bushes, close to Hogsmeade. I followed him, within the last hour, Mr Potter – after having finally learnt the password by hiding close by, when Kreacher went to the secret door within the Professor's rooms."

"_Another_ tunnel? Oh, in Dumbledore's name… I thought all the hidden tunnels had been accounted for!" Slughorn dabbed again at the sweat on his face and forehead.

"Unless this is another of Salazar Slytherin's private little works – like the Chamber of Secrets," Professor Moody snorted. Salazar Slytherin had been the founder of Slytherin School, when Hogwarts had first come into being. "Well – what was the password, elf?"

"Shirt lyne," Dobby announced with a straight face.

Everyone fell silent for a moment – then Hermione stopped counting on her fingers, and gave a yell of excitement as she jumped into the air, hands clapping together. She returned the wide-eyed stares of the others. "It's an anagram!" she explained, pleased with herself. "Of _Slytherin_!"

Harry patted her shoulder. "Good going, Hermione… So it _is_ Salazar's tunnel! Okay, Dobby. Did you see where Kreacher went, after you followed him to Hogsmeade?"

Dobby was now bounding on the spot in agitation. "Oh yes, sir. His trail led me to the kitchen of Honeydukes. Whilst I hid behind the toffee cauldron, Kreacher was talking with the people there. Two men, and a younger man - and a woman."

"The Balfore family." Slughorn nodded. "The owner has brought over his wife and son, now, to help alongside Balfore's assistant. I've glimpsed them in passing, during my visits to the shop. A quiet, but pleasant, bunch – or so I thought."

"But Kreacher was hugging the woman, sir!" Dobby's wide eyes gazed up at Slughorn's. "She gave him a pair of socks – and he danced with joy, before kissing her shoes. He then said: 'Let me see you without the disguise, mistress – so that I can be sure!' So she took off her ginger wig and make up, to reveal her cropped dark hair. Dobby heard her say that their polyjuice potions were about exhausted – but that their plans would take place tonight, sir!"

"What plans…?" Moody snarled.

"Dobby does not know! But Dobby saw those in Honeydukes gather bottles and other things – then set off outside. One of the men sniffed the air, and headed for the cauldron where Dobby was hiding. Dobby disapparated before he could be seen. Dobby did not likes that man. No, no…"

"What did he look like?" asked a narrow-eyed Moody.

"Big and thin, sir! Black-bearded, and hands with dirty, yellow nails." Dobby shuddered at the image in his memory. "Sharp voice – sparse with words…"

"The assistant was tall and thin – but he was brown-bearded," Slughorn whispered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If _he_ was using polyjuice potion as a disguise…"

"Oh, no…" Harry's thin voice trailed off. His face turned white.

"Harry? What is it, mate?" Ron spoke up.

But Slughorn interrupted. "Where did the people from Honeydukes go?" He was now squatted on one knee, prodding Dobby, to gain the House Elf's attention.

"Sir, Dobby was fearful! I apparated outside the shop, in a safe place, to see them head into the secret tunnel. I then sought Harry Potter, straight away!"

"_Who _are they?" Hermione cast her eyes between the grim-faced Professor Moody and Harry. The latter was twitching uncomfortably.

"Well, as for the assistant…," Harry began. "…going by Ron and Ginny's werewolf lineage, I'd say it was their grandfather…" He stared his friends in the eyes.

"_Fenrir Greyback!"_ Ron snapped his fingers. "It's a party of Death Eaters – disguised by polyjuice potion, and muggle trickery! And going by Kreacher's reactions, Harry, he's no longer tied to your service. He's found…"

"…his _former_ mistress!" Moody spat on the floor. _"Bellatrix Lestrange! _And the Blackhearts must be in the castle, now! Alert the staff, Horace! And find Professor Lupin. Quickly!"

"Right!" Professor Slughorn turned and ran off as fast as his bulk would allow.

"Ron, fetch your sister, and meet us at Professor Lupin's rooms. Those that used to belong to Professor Snape!" Moody barked. "Potter, Miss Granger! Come with me!"

"Yes, Professor!" Harry and Hermione responded simultaneously. Meanwhile, Ron sprinted off towards Gryffindor Tower.

Moody was already striding off for the nearest moving stairwell. "Lead on, Dobby!" he ordered the House Elf.

Harry whipped out his wand and jogged after the little creature, who was now running along the corridor. Hermione tagged along.

When Dobby, Mad Eye Moody, and his two young trainee Aurors reached the ground floor corridors, en route to the staircase leading down to the rooms held by Professor Lupin, they were greeted by scenes of panic. Madam Pomfrey ran through a doorway which led to the hospital wing, followed closely by Professor McGonnagall, the caretaker Argus Filch, a pupil – a Chinese boy – and another woman. All of them were breathless, and bore expressions of sheer terror.

Checking to see that no one else was coming, McGonnagall slammed the double doors shut, and Filch hurriedly locked them to.

Harry and the final member of the party stared at each other. She tilted her face down at him, as she adjusted her horn-rimmed spectacles – whilst his mind flashed back to his anger at the callous, irresponsible way she had treated him during the time he had been an unwilling contestant in the Tri-Wizard Tournament at Hogwarts, four years ago.

True to form, she was once again wearing a bright outfit – this time a bright blue, one piece skirt and dress. It bore a print design of wands and stars. Her handbag, however, was a garish bright yellow colour.

"You!" Harry felt like growling. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The journalist Rita Skeeter ran her fingers through her ruffled hair, making sure she was presentable, before she deigned to respond to the angry outburst. "Watch your tongue, Harry! I still have work to do for 'The Daily Prophet'. I'm here for the Governors Evening tonight. Then I found out about this…interesting…condition that's killed those poor children. Honestly! It's one disaster after another, at this school…"

"That's enough – you tabloid trash!" Moody called out, as he caught up with the rest of his party, limping with his wooden leg across the ground floor of the castle's main stairwell. "Now, Minerva! What the blazes is going on?"

"The children…" Nurse Pomfrey fought for breath, in order to force out her words. "The ones that died from that…that _disease_…"

"That thing you called 'The Blight'," Filch added helpfully.

"Yes! What about those kids?" Moody snapped. "We couldn't move them, because their bodies became fused to the mortuary slabs…"

"They've came to _life_, Alistor!" McGonnagall shrieked. "They're walking – and attacking anyone who they can get their stony hands on!"

"One of them got Mrs Norris!" wailed Filch, referring to his cat. "Master Horrobin changed _shape_ and smothered her!"

"Look out!" Hermione raised her hand, pointing to the wall next to the doors.

Everyone turned. The story surface _bulged_ outwards, and grew a long, grey-brown limb that resembled an arm made of fluid, mud-like earth. Before they could act, the hardening hand at the end snaked around the neck of Rita Skeeter. An instant later, the obnoxious reporter was yanked towards the wall.

"_Aaaggghhh!!"_ She screamed.

"Grab her!" Harry yelled. He and the Chinese pupil then did just that. Seconds later, Hermione came to their aid.

Meanwhilte, a second mud-like arm emerged from the stonework before them and seized Rita's leg. For several moments, the reporter continued to panic as she became the rope in a bizarre tug-of-war. But despite the efforts of her helpers – and the spells unleashed upon the ghastly entity by Professors Moody and McGonnagall – the horrific assailant won. Rita was drawn, face-first, into the liquidifying surface of the wall by the arms embracing her. With a scream that was abruptly cut off, the woman who had caused Harry and Hagrid so much anguish during her visits to the school four years ago, became totally submerged into the fabric of Hogwarts itself – along with the hideous 'arms'. The stonework then turned solid once more.

Madam Pomfrey collapsed upon her knees – too shocked for words.

The Chinese boy who had nearly been dragged in also, by holding onto Rita, quickly back-pedalled from the stonework. Little croaking noises issued from his throat, as he tried to gather his wits.

"Hells bells!" Moody's magical eye scrutinized first the wall before them, then the others in the hallway. "Stand back, everyone! Don't go near anything made of stone!"

"What is it, Professor? What do you see?" Harry asked loudly, his voice carrying above a grinding noise that was now coming from first one wall, then another.

The joint Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher turned direction, in tandem with wherever the source of the noise was. The unknown entity was fast – it practically _flowed_ from wall to wall. But evidently the Auror could see it, thanks to his artificial eye. He kept his wand ready before him, and so did the others, now. Filch, however, having little magical ability, bore no wand – and so kept close to the rest of the company. Dobby, meanwhile – Harry noticed – was shaking with fear, and was keeping mercifully silent.

"Where did that horrible woman go?" Hermione swallowed her fear back.

"My eye tells me she's been left _in_ the wall! She's done for," Moody bristled. "And we'll go the same way, if we're not careful… Quick! Get onto the carpet over here – all of you! I can see that _thing_ below the floor!"

The eight of them – Harry, Hermione, the Chinese pupil, Filch, Moody, McGonnagall, Pomfrey, and Dobby – suddenly realized that they had been standing on a stone floor. Filch yelled as his ankle was seized by another stony arm. He twisted and fell over, and McGonnagall and the oriental boy tried to help him with both brute force and spells fired at the monstrosity. Changing tack, McGonnagall then used a levitation spell to pull the protesting, cantankerous caretaker away from the floor. But still the entity held onto him as its arm lengthened beyond human proportions. Whatever it was, it could alter its solidity from stone to mud-like clay, and back again, within moments. However, most of the party were now standing on the wide hallway carpet – which provided some small comfort of thought.

"Look, Professor Moody - another one!" Harry shouted out a warning as a humanoid shape swiftly emerged, and detached itself from the side of a nearby archway. Within seconds, the creature had assumed the form of a small human – complete with arms, legs, a trunk, a face, and even the impression of hair.

It's like a clay statue – only an animated one…, thought Harry. But it looks like… Like…

"Donna Varner!" Madame Pomfrey wailed, as she gripped the shoulder of Moody's brown leather jacket. "That's how she looked when she came out of the mortuary – along with Aubrey Horrobin and Desmond Troy! They attacked us! Now they're moving faster…"

Harry stared into the stone Donna's eyes, as she – it – lumbered towards the party standing on the carpet. There was no recognition – no emotion – in the face, which looked human, but was as rigid as a clay mask. There was only a mindless desire to seize anything alive, to smother, and to kill…

"Inferi!" hissed Mad Eye. "They're a new breed of undead Inferi!"

"What do we do, Alistor?" asked McGonnagall, panic creeping into her voice. "Our stunning, release, and binding spells have no effect on the one still holding onto Argus!"

As if on cue, the caretaker continued to yell as he bashed his fists against the tendril-like shape now wrapped around his levitated body. Madame Pomfrey was currently using her wand to hold Filch aloft, valiantly resisting the efforts of the Inferious-monstrosity to snatch him away for good.

"Try the Aquamenti spell!" Hermione piped up breathlessly. "If we're dealing with enemies that can change their solidity…"

"…it might turn them into mud quicker than they expect!" Harry caught on.

Moody gave a curt nod. "Harry – you're with me! Fire at Miss Varner."

A moment later, two jets of water shot out from the wands of the Auror and his understudy – striking the face and torso of the Donna-Inferious, just before her hardened outstretched hands could reach them. The undead being was halted in her tracks – then she was sent stumbling, off-balance, as the force of the magical attack was increased. With a ghastly, inhuman wail, the Inferious tried to get back up against the repeated blasts of magically-generated water – then she started to dissolve into mud. The unholy mass oozed into the stonework of the floor, and vanished.

"Yes!!" Harry yelled and punched the air, breaking off his spell. He gasped for breath, feeling drained by the prolonged use of magic. Harry then glanced to his right – the other Inferious was now vanishing into the floor, having been bombarded by water from the wands of Professor McGonnagall, Hermione, and the Chinese lad. Poppy Pomfrey helped a soggy-looking, but relieved, Argus Filch to his feet.

Dobby, meanwhile, had just jumped upon Harry's shoulder – where he now hung on, still trembling with fear.

"Ow! Don't dig into me!" Harry protested. But he was reluctant to push the House Elf back to the floor below. He wasn't sure if it was over…

"Bad, bad Kreacher!" Dobby half-squeaked in his agitation. "He allowed those wicked people into Hogwarts! And that egg – they carried the egg in that box. It was magical, Harry Potter, sir! Oh yes, Dobby could sense it was bad…"

"What egg, Elf?" Moody snapped as he tested the floor with his booted foot.

"Black egg, sir! Like a huge Easter egg. It was just larger than Kreacher. The woman and the others – they handled it most carefully, sir. She said it was about to hatch, ahead of schedule…"

"We need to alert the others!" Madame Pomfrey declared. "Even if those two Inferi are dead, we still need to deal with the others!"

"And there was meant to be a Governors meeting tonight! You know, Alistor – where the Headmaster was going to prevent the Governors from closing the school, due to the Blight! Professor Flitwick was in the Great Hall, with Hagrid and others, ensuring that the preparations were under way," McGonnagall added. "I was called away to the Infirmary by Poppy's request for help, when those bodies started…moving."

"The Governors! They're the intended targets – along with the rest of us!" Harry concluded. Seeing, and hearing, no danger now he stepped off the carpet and ran towards the double doors that led towards the Great Hall. "Come on, everyone! The Death Eaters – we have to stop them!"

The rest of the party nervously left the wide carpet, and hurried after him. They all passed through the open double doors, and entered the corridor before the Hall. Close by was the stairwell that led to the dungeon level. Down below was the Potions classroom, and – further on – the suite of rooms that Professor Lupin had inherited from the departed and deceased Professor Snape.

Harry suddenly halted. Hermione half-crashed into him, missing Dobby.

"Oww! Harry…!" She rubbed her shoulder.

"What is it, Harry?" McGonnagall looked at him, worriedly.

"There's something downstairs…," he muttered, frowning. "It's radiating power… I can sense it – can't anyone else?"

"I'm too scared to feel anything else!" Hermione's timid response came out as a whimper.

"It's your Auror skills…" Moody dropped his voice, "…along with your enhanced senses, Harry." Then, resuming his normal pitch, Mad Eye continued thoughtfully: "It would take great power to animate and control those Inferi. And I suspect that Black Egg is the source of that sorcery. Somehow, the Death Eaters are channeling it…"

He was abruptly interrupted by the doors to the Great Hall being forcibly slammed open before them. Through the gap, a brown-furred man-sized creature flew into the corridor, bounced against the nearest wall, and then dropped to the ground, whining. Moments later, two men and two women ran through the opened doors, screaming. They were dressed for the night to come, in old-fashioned suits and garish-looking evening gowns.

The frightened party ran over to the others – carefully avoiding the stunned wolf man. The sounds of growls, human yells, and fired spells could be heard issuing from out of the Hall.

"Governor Hornbuckle! Deputy Governor Raglan!" McGonnagall hurried over to them. "Are you all right? Where is the Headmaster?"

"Oh, horrible! Werewolves _and_ Death Eaters!" the taller of the two women – the deputy – wailed.

"Wilfreda, please be silent!" The male Head Governor then addressed McGonnagall as he panted for breath. "The Headmaster and the others are fighting Death Eaters! And werewolves are fighting each other! And a ghastly stone child _came out of the wall…!!_

The werewolf, who had up to this point been lying still, suddenly began to stir and rise upon all fours. Everyone jumped back.

"Kill the beast! Quickly!" the Deputy Governess shrieked.

Harry sniffed and took in the scent of the wolf man. Although his enhanced sense of smell was weaker in his human form, his nose confirmed what the creature's pelt and markings conveyed to his eyes. "I wouldn't kill him! This 'beast' is fighting to save your lives!" he declared. Leaning closer to the werewolf, Harry then asked. "Are you all right, Professor?"

Remus Lupin licked at the slash wounds and bruises that were slowing fading on his battered body. He then returned Harry's gaze, and slowly nodded. He made a gesture with his head towards the hall doors – and bared his teeth, growling.

"Right! Minerva, Poppy – look after Filch, Bai-Wen, and the Governor's party," Moody snapped. "Dobby. You can apparate in Hogwarts – scout around the castle and get the pupils out!"

"Yes, sir!" With a loud _pop_, Dobby vanished from Harry's shoulders. Mad Eye faced the rest of the group.

"Potter, Granger – you're with me. Let's hit them, Remus!"

The four of them – Auror, two Aurors-in-training, and a fully-furred werewolf – promptly charged into the Great Hall.

Inside, there was panic and confusion. At the far end of the hall, behind the upturned staff table, various teachers – including Professors Sprout and Faroukh Faraday (the new head of Ravenclaw House) – were firing off spells to protect themselves against the Death Eaters present.

Hagrid was on the podium set up for the string quartet that had been due to provide the evening's entertainment. Stepping over the torn body of one player, who had been killed by a werewolf, Hagrid was picking up the Jack O'Lanterns that had, until recently, been floating above the hall as Halloween decorations. The half-giant was now using them as missiles against the Death Eaters, who were presently ducking and diving amongst the broken, magic-scorched, buffet-tables set around the hall floor.

In one corner of the Hall, Harry's eyes found Ron. He was using both hands to hold his shaking wand steadily. A constant ripple of light emanated from it, and bathed the Inferious that Ron was suspending in the air, upside-down. The just-recognisible face of Aubrey Horrobin contorted in agony, and his marble-like arms hung uselessly in the air. In the meantime, Professor Flitwick was standing next to Ron – casting shielding spells to defend them both from the Death Eaters.

"Of course!" Hermione halted as she spied the activity in the corner. She slapped her own forehead, in realisation – wondering why she had not thought of the answer earlier. "_Well done, Ron_! Separating the Inferi from the ground weakens them! They're being animated from energy transmitted through the stone walls and the floors…! But where's Ginny?"

"There she is!" Harry gestured with his wand towards a russet-furred wolf who was bleeding from slashes to her shoulder and legs, as she circled around both a mangy-brown-furred dog wolf and an injured she-wolf with jet-black colouring. Close by, a man-sized, vicious-looking wolf man with grey and white fur, was nursing an injured paw as he leapt from cover to cover, in order to dodge the crossfire of spells.

The other Death Eaters, clad in ordinary clothing (as far as the wizarding community went) were now visible to Harry – and he stiffened with anger. The first, goth-like, figure – a black-draped woman of around forty, with fuzzy black and white hair, was Bellatrix Lestrange. The murderer of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. She shrieked with crazed delight, as one of her spells sent a thrown pumpkin from Hagrid circling round back to him – like a bizarre, whizzing, boomerang. Struck in the face, Hagrid was knocked off his feet.

"Hahahhahah!!" The second Death Eater – a dark-haired, pug-faced, and plumpish girl of Harry's age, laughed hysterically. Seeing him turning and raising his wand towards her, she ducked behind the upturned table she was using as cover, too overcome with mirth to cast a spell just yet.

It was Pansy Parkinson – one of Draco Malfoy's cronies. The one who'd stolen the Nightshadow crystal, during the battle at the school, in June – before escaping, along with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and most of the more dangerous Death Eaters, when Voldemort had met his just end.

Harry shot his face towards Ginny. His wolf-maker and the two enemy lupines were furiously fighting it out with another clash of fangs and claws. Blood and fur filled the air around them.

His mate… They were going to kill his Ginny…

"_No!"_ With a piercing cry, Harry led the charge of his party. He leapt high to avoid a firebolt spell unleashed by a startled Bellatrix as she spun round,, her eyes widening. Harry's vision went black and white for a moment, as his anger aroused the beast within him – and Fenrir Greyback, turning to Harry, saw the trainee Auror's eyes glow amber for a second or so. Then Fenrir's crooked smile of understanding was broken, as the Death Eater wolf man was jumped upon by Professor Lupin – who had just dived across the room, from an angle.

Chaos ensued once again. In the midst of the action, as he glimpsed Mad Eye exchange fired spells with Bellatrix, Harry twisted himself round and rolled in between the upturned tables. He came to rest against a fallen suit of armour, close to the three fighting wolves. Ginny was coming off worst, as the others attacked her from near-opposite angles.

"_Stupify!"_ Harry's wand shot hit the enemy werewolf behind Ginny, at close range. The creature was sent flying into the edge of the fireplace along the adjacent wall, knocking the howling beast off balance. Then, seized by the energy of his animal rage, Harry picked the halberd dropped by the broken suit of armour. Ginny, seeing Harry's actions, forced the second opposing werewolf in-between her and her mate, as she and the other female wolf clashed muzzles together in another scrap.

Acting on instinctive timing, Harry clenched his muscles and thrusted the point of the halberd into the back of the black-furred she-werewolf, piercing the rib cage.

With an agonized howl, the beast turned her attention on Harry – and snarled, baring her red-rimmed fangs. But now Ginny had the advantage – and her next, sudden attack bowled the impaled werewolf onto her side. A moment later she had broken the enemy's neck with her strong jaws.

"Well done, Ginny!" Harry dropped his weapon and hurried over to her. He rubbed her russet fur, and Ginny licked his cheek – before quickly cleaning her wounds with her tongue.

"Watch out, Harry!" Startled by the male voice, Harry and Ginny spun round, to see the recovering first werewolf struck by a small firebolt – which caught it off-guard and sent it rolling onto the open fireplace, scattering the lit contents. Within seconds, the werewolf howled as its fur became engulfed by flames. Howling with pain, the creature leapt aside and began rolling on the floor, to extinguish the fire.

"Stupify!" a woman called out. The spell hit the burning werewolf, stunning it. Moments later, the werewolf bayed its last and collapsed, overcome by the fire consuming it.

Harry choked on the odour of burning fur and wolf-flesh. Turning aside, he shot a glance across to the upturned staff table. There, Professors Faraday and Sprout nodded back, pleased at their joint work.

"Thanks!" Harry called out – and Faraday gave a quick smile, before ducking to avoid another spell blast from Bellatrix. She had managed to overcome Professor Moody. The Auror was lying, wounded, on the floor. His wand was out of reach.

A timely glance from Harry revealed to him what was happening with Ron and the Inferious he had been levitating. Ron had just collapsed, drained by his prolonged use of magic to keep the undead travesty of Aubrey Horrobin in the air. Just as the now-descending horror was about to ensnare him, however, Professor Flitwick's repeated disruptor spells finally weakened it to the point of no return. With a ghastly moan, the Inferious was blasted into myriad pieces of blackened rock – each lump smaller than the one counted before.

Hermione…

Harry spun round. His other close friend was still dueling with Pansy Parkinson, exchanging spells. The expressions on the girls' faces chilled Harry. Hermione was frustrated, and now seemed to be conjuring defensive magic as she dodged and ducked from the firebolts and hexes fired at her. Pansy, meanwhile, was enjoying the spectacle of making her opponent fight for her life. Harry noticed that the Slytherin was wearing a black talisman over her dark robes.

"Dance on, Granger!" she laughed. "You can't get the better of me."

Her taunt was answered by a threatening growl from Ginny. The russet wolf leapt towards the young Death Eater.

Pansy's face abruptly turned white at the sight of the oncoming lycanthrope.

"Bellatrix!" she screamed, then turned and bolted for a side door.

Bellatrix Lestrange whipped herself round from her ongoing spell battle with the Hogwarts staff. She too, was wearing a black talisman – similar to Pansy's. She grabbed hold of the fleeing girl, forcing her to stay. Then Bellatrix produced a blue crystal from a pocket and threw it to the floor at her feet, where it shattered. Immediately, flickering ocean-coloured flames sprang up around the two female Death Eaters. Ginny halted her sprint, then – with a snarl – flung herself at a perceived low point in the flames. She howled as she was immediately repelled, in a shower of sparks.

"No!" Harry yelled. He ran over to her.

She got up, twisting her body and giving it a shake. Then Ginny looked up and gave Harry's hand a reassuring lick.

The staff present rose from their defences, and slowly advanced – forming a circle around the enemy. Faraday fired a jet of water from his wand. It changed into vapour as it hit the blue flames. And other spells cast by the others – including Harry – failed to penetrate the flickering wall of unearthly fire.

"An impressive shielding spell, Ms Lestrange!" Flitwick declared, in his half-squeaky voice. "But how long will it last for you and your young companion?"

"Long enough!" Bellatrix retorted, almost shrieking. She gave a crocked smile and pulled out, from a pocket inside her robes, a hand-sized, glowing ball made from pure amethyst.

"Direct the new ones to the Great Hall – now!" she hissed, apparently to the crystal itself, as she held it close to her face with her free hand.

"Best to surrender, Ms Lestrange and Miss Parkinson!" Professor Flitwick advised them. "Fenrir Greyback has been chased out of here by Professor Lupin – and your other werewolves have perished! There have been enough deaths here tonight!"

"It is over – put down your wands!" Professor Sprout added her voice to the headmaster's request.

"Over…?" Bellatrix gave her customary demented cackle. "It is far from over, you insignificant fools!"

As if on cue, a rumble resonated from one of the walls – barely seconds after Bellatrix had fallen silent. Ginny growled, her arrow-shaped ears twitching madly.

Harry cast his eyes around the hall. Both Professor Lupin and Greyback were nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a groggy-looking Hagrid had pulled himself up from the floor where he'd been laying, after the close encounter with the pumpkin missile.

Everyone turned, panic mounting, as the rumbling increased. Within moments, the other stone walls were groaning and shaking also. Then the floor began to shudder.

Ron picked himself up – fear aiding his recovering, sluggish reactions.

Harry gave Hermione a helping hand up. On one temple she sported a bruise from a hex fired by Pansy.

"Thanks, Harry…" Hermione's expression turned into one of alarm as she looked to one side. "Professor Moody!" she yelled.

The two trainee Aurors assisted their teacher up. He was getting his breath back – but his wooden leg had been struck with a rotting spell, and now it was damaged, thus disabling him.

"What's going on, sir?" gasped Harry, as he froze the effects of the rotting spell with his wand. The wolf in him was silently screaming in his mind. One word, over and over again.

_Danger, danger, danger…!_

A shape emerged from the end wall, behind the upturned staff table. Like a shark slowly emerging from the ocean in the instant before the water drained off, the thing materialised as the wall bulged out to permit its exit. Then the golem-like, rock form of Donna Varner parted from the stonework, and advanced towards the teachers – eyes vacant, yet seeing, mouth open in silent torment, arms outstretched to extinguish the life of any victim the Inferious could seize.

Seconds later, the other walls – and the floor, too – bulged, before unleashing four more humans who had now become form-shifting, animated grey-brown wraiths of stone. One was a young boy, still wearing Hogwarts school robes – who Harry guessed was Desmond Troy. But now there was also one of the musicians who had previously entered the Great Hall, in order to play. And the lady prising herself from the resealing floor, and turning round to regard those present, was none other than Rita Skeeter – who had last been seen swallowed up by the fabric of the animated walls. Now she was like the other returnees. And like Donna. A living person turned to rock. Hair, skin, glasses, clothes, and all. An undead being, controlled by a powerful force…

"As I fear, Harry…," Moody announced flatly. "It's an ongoing infection!"

"The poison tested on Ron and Ginny…!" Hermione gasped. "If it had not been for…you know what (here, her hand brushed Ginny's fur), they…- they would have died, and become… Become…"

"_Stone_ Inferi!" Moody spat. "And if they pull you into the stonework, they'll pass their fell magic into your suffocated bodies, converting you in minutes!"

Bellatrix and Pansy were still protected within the blue flames surrounding them. Both ladies were now laughing as Professor Flitwick ordered everyone to get out, only to find it was too late. Two more Inferi – apparently pupils dragged to their deaths by the wraiths elsewhere in the castle, were starting to rise from the floor, completing the ring that was closing in around the defenders of Hogwarts. The least brave of those present began to scream.

"Whoops! Soon you will all be suffocated!" Bellatrix mocked them. "Then you will return from the dead as our pets. And you will hunger for your own victims. Ta ta! School's out."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: The Struggle**

With a wave, Bellatrix nudged Pansy, and – keeping together – they hurried past a stirring Inferious, and exited the hall via a side door. Their shielding spell faded as they moved away – but there was no time to follow them. The rising tide of the undead was closing in on the staff of Hogwarts.

Professor Flitwick began issuing orders to everyone present. The stone Inferi found themselves bombarded by magically-created water globules from different directions, which halted them in their tracks as their solidity weakened.

Harry quickly cast a levitation spell onto the Inferious stretching out for him – it was formerly one of the musicians. With a roar, the undead being found itself prised away from the floor, despite its attempts to sink into the stonework. Then Hermione cast jets of water at it. Moody finished it off with a small, conjured vortex of air that broke up the now-dissolving particles into scattered pools of mud.

"Yes!" Hermione gave a whoop of joy.

"Keep going, everyone!" Moody allowed himself the faintest of smiles, as they fought on.

Ron jumped across to them, avoiding the treacle-like arms now emerging from the floor underneath him. He reached Harry and Hermione, and blasted away with his wand alongside the others. The grisly tide of undead was gradually being cut down, but even more were emerging from the very fabric of Hogwarts…

Suddenly, there was a reddish-brown blur of movement, as the next Stone Inferious was set upon.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled, spinning round as he fought another of the horrors.

The she-wolf was snapping away at the Inferious with her jaws – using her fore claws to aid her. At first the horror was too rock-solid to be defeated – and it was now using one hand to hold Ginny at bay, whilst its other hand formed a battering fist. But then Professor McGonagall sprang out of nowhere and fired a jet of water at the Inferious, splashing both it and the werewolf. Ginny soon got her claws into the softened monstrosity before it could re-harden, and – with gusto – began to tear the fiend apart.

Roaring with fury, the Inferious slashed Ginny with its granite claws. The blood splashed onto the surface of the shifting rock-being.

Harry saw this in-between glances, as he kept his other eye open for further potential attacks. Shooting another jet of water at the next Inferious, he spun back to help Ginny – only to freeze in amazement.

A red stain from Ginny's spilt blood was beginning to spread down through the now-solid composition of the Inferious. The creature's movements were becoming jerky. The Ginny-wolf's wound was healing by itself, but now another cut was made as she flung herself at her inhuman opponent. Again, the latter was stained crimson from their contact, and the Inferious gave a cry that sounded like a bellow of anguish.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled to her. "Your blood! I think your blood is affecting it!"

The she-wolf cocked her head at him, paused, and momentarily backed off from the wounded Inferious. Then, with a series of bone crunches, she shifted into her wolf-girl form and sank her claws into the backs of each forepaw. Ginny quickly brushed the Inferious with the blood from her cuts.

The horror issued a deathly moan from its open mouth. Where they had soaked into the Inferious, Ginny's fluids were now dissolving the rocky texture of the monstrosity, turning it into a crimson sludge.

"Ron!" Hermione's widened eyes were acting in tandem with Harry's. "Werewolf blood slows them down! The infection within the Stone Inferi – the Blight…"

"…cannot live in the bloodstream of a lycanthrope… Our blood is poison to it! Brilliant!" Ron put down his wand and began to undress there and then. "Look after my things, will you, 'Mione? Thanks. Cover for me, guys!"

"Ron – what are you…?" Hermione's eyes, Harry considered, couldn't have got any bigger. Ron swiftly slipped out of his shoes, and he dropped his trousers.

"Hermione – watch the Inferi, not Ron! Cover for him," Harry snapped. He yelled as a re-solidifying arm pulled sharply at his leg, causing him to fall over. Hermione screamed, and shot a water globule at the half-formed Inferious on the floor.

They were exhausted now – their endurance being worn away by near-endless spell casting.

The latest Inferious rose, like a spectre, from the floor. It was – had been – Rita Skeeter. Now her open mouth hissed in delight, as she prepared herself to descend upon the collapsed young wizard, and smoother him with the cold embrace of her shifting form. There, he would suffocate – and then Hermione would be next, Harry thought, his heart sinking. Worse, she would be dragged into the stones of Hogwarts, and – still being human – then be infected with the taint of the Inferious' Blight, to later emerge as an undead, rock-like wraith herself…

Even when half-dead, Rita hounds me…! Harry silently cursed to himself.

"_Aaaggghhh!" _The cry was forced from the open jaw of Harry's assailant as the jar shattered into her lower back. Smoke began to hiss from the impact, and the Rita-Inferious' grip on Harry weakened. The creature began to crumble around her midriff. She slumped to one side, weakening. Within seconds, Rita Skeeter had died her second – and final – death.

_Good riddance to you…,_ Harry thought as he recovered his wits.

"Grab hold of me!"

Hermione helped to free Harry. Gasping from their exertions, they looked up to see a relieved-looking Professor Slughorn nodding at them, before he carefully flung another jar of acid at a second Stone Inferious.

"Ahhh! Urr… Grrr…" The cries, just behind them, were deepening into a series of growls. Harry and Hermione spun round, to see a now-naked Ron Weasley transforming into his half-wolf form. His body was becoming enveloped in rolling waves of reddish fur, like his sister. Ron's ears, tail, and muzzle grew out together into their lupine positions, whilst the rest of him – bones and all – reformed into the frame of a bipedal, humanoid wolf.

Harry smiled at his friend. "Go get them, Ron" he encouraged him.

The Ron-werewolf gave a nod, then scratched the backs of his forepaws in turn, turning them red. With a howl, he launched himself directly at the Inferi attacking the rest of the staff.

The first of the wraiths screamed as Ron's blood was soaked into its semi-solid body. And Ginny had just destroyed her third Inferious, using her fangs to tear the weakened wraith into scattered, clay-like blobs. With a growl of satisfaction, Ginny loped over to Harry and Hermione, and panted, recovering from her exertions.

"We're finally winning!" Hermione hugged Harry and Ginny.

"It's not over yet!" Moody declared, as he wiped the sweat on his shiny forehead. "We have to locate and deal with the source of power that is animating the Stone Inferi. Until then, all the walls of Hogwarts are potential death-traps!"

"The dungeon level – Lupin's rooms! I sensed something down there," Harry reminded Moody, who gave a satisfied smile.

"Yes – you did. Track it down, Harry – and destroy it! You too, Miss Granger, Master Weasley, and Miss Weasley!"

"What about you?" Hermione asked in a wavering voice.

"I'll help to clear up the Inferi here – then join you, if I can! You four are faster than me. Now go!" Moody snapped at them. "And watch yourselves!"

Ron and Ginny exchanged a lupine look of what could have been anticipation, then they licked their fangs. Growling, they bent down and bounded out of the Great Hall on all fours, via the now-unguarded double doors. Harry and Hermione had to run after the humanoid werewolves, in order to keep up.

The passageway outside was deserted – but in the distance someone screamed. Harry's ears, keener since he became a lycanthrope, told him there was fighting still going on in the castle.

Against the Death Eaters, or the Inferi? He asked himself. Or both?

Ron and Ginny sniffed the air, as they straightened up. Suddenly, Ron – with an effort – forced himself to speak.

"Lupin… Greyback…," he growled. "Scents lead…to hallway. Faint, now…"

Ginny nodded in agreement, and snarled. "Bellatrix… Pansy… This way!" She loped over to the staircase leading down to the dungeon level – where the Potions classroom, and also Snape former rooms, were.

Hermione gave the Weasley werewolves a look of admiration. "You two are amazing!" She turned to Harry. "Can you talk when furred, as well?"

Harry shrugged. "I haven't tried," he admitted.

"Oh well. Let's finish this, then." Hermione's voice trembled. Wands held tightly in their sweaty hands, she and Harry headed downstairs with their werewolf friends.

"Wait up, guys!"

At the bottom of the stairs, the foursome turned to see Neville Longbottom and Alex Greenway racing down to meet them, wands at the ready. They regarded the werewolves with some trepidation, but there was a determined look in the eyes of both of the young men. Neville, who had called out to Harry's team, presented a sorry mess. One of his shirt sleeves was torn, and his trousers looked dusty. Alex looked similarly disheveled.

Harry's eyes narrowed at the sight of a Slytherin pupil and a Gryffindor apparently acting in tandem, with the same purpose in mind.

"What's going on, Neville?" Harry asked, somewhat curtly. He nodded towards Alex. "Why's he with you…?"

"Cut it out, Potter!" Alex Greenway snapped. "Just because I'm a Slytherin, it doesn't automatically make me the enemy, you know!"

Harry bristled, and found that he was pointing his wand at Alex. Hermione and Neville exchanged concerned glances. Ron let out a low growl, and Ginny sniffed at the tension in the air.

"Harry!" Hermione's hand gently pushed Harry's wand down.

"Right… I'm sorry, Alex. You're right." Harry forced himself to relax. "Tell us what's happening…"

"Monsters, Harry! Coming out of the walls in the common rooms. They snatched three Hufflepuff students, and…, and dragged them into the walls!" Neville panted. "I was looking for Charlotte – Alex's cousin."

"As far as I knew, she was seeing Professor Slughorn for advice on her potions project." Alex's jaw tightened. "We're both looking for her… And those blasted rock-things slowed us down… They're scattered around the school."

"Dobby was running around, raising the alarm. He said that Kreacher's former mistress and her kind were in Hogwarts." Neville gave Harry a meaningful look. "I know who that is! Is it true…?"

"Yeah. It is." Harry nodded.

Hermione regarded Neville and Alex with narrowed eyes. "You don't seem worried about our furry friends," she pointed out.

The two young men looked at Ron and Ginny again. Neither of the werewolves looked as though they were about to attack – but Ron scraped a rear paw along the floor, inpatient to move on.

"We can put two and two together, Hermione. And more!" Neville answered. "Now let's go find those Death Eaters!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The party of six – three humans and three werewolves (one of them in his human form) carefully advanced along the dungeon level, making as little noise as possible. Ron and Ginny had now assumed wolf shape in order to travel on all fours. They suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.

Harry put up his hand, signaling to the others to halt. Faint voices were coming from the Potions classroom. They noticed that the door was partway open.

Ginny held her dark nose aloft. Then, turning to Harry, she softly tapped the floor. Three times.

"Three people – inside there," Harry whispered, understanding the message.

They tiptoed over to the doorway. The noise of laughter filled the room.

"Not enough, Vinnie. I win that hand, too!"

"I got two Kings and two Tens this time! You can't be luckier, Greg!" a second voice whined.

"Here – look! Three Aces and two Queens. So that's three rounds to me, and one to you. I reckon I can claim our guest as another Queen, by the end of tonight!"

'Vinnie' sounded miffed. "Let's make it the best of seven rounds…"

Harry squatted down, and peeped around the door. What he spied made him angry. Two of the escaped Death Eaters, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, were lounging around Professor Slughorn's desk – wands close by. A female pupil was gagged and bound to the Professor's chair. Her wide, fearful eyes, turned around from Goyle as he leered across at her. Then she caught sight of Harry.

It was Charlotte Greenway – and the two cronies of Draco Malfoy were playing cards for the right to possess her, Harry realised.

Alex Greenway inched his head above Harry's. "Who's in there…? Charlotte!"

The exclamation alerted the captors. Startled by the fact that anyone had even got past the Inferi, Crabbe and Goyle yelled and snatched up their wands – only to be hit by a spell from Hermione, as she dived through the doorway into firing distance.

"_Muffliato!" _she called out.

As expected, the Slytherins hadn't yet mastered the art of non-verbal spell casting – and they found themselves unable to strike back.

"_Stupify!"_

With a yell of fury, Alex hit Gregory Goyle with a stunning spell, slamming him crashing into the nearest desk. Then the Ron-wolf bounded in and sent Crabbe flying, like a bowling ball striking a skittle. Crabbe banged his head, as he struck the blackboard – and he soon joined his friend in the land of nod.

As Hermione confiscated the wands of Crabbe and Goyle, Alex rushed in and released his cousin from her bonds. She embraced him, then hugged Neville.

They seem to be keen on each other…, thought Harry, as he watched Neville and Charlotte.

"Thanks everyone!" Charlotte gasped. "They took me by surprise, whilst I was waiting for Pro…"

"We know – where are their cronies?" Neville patted Charlotte's shoulder.

"Professor Lupin's quarters! I'll help you!" Charlotte retrieved her wand from where her captors had placed it.

"Okay. You're in!" Harry turned and gave Alex a dirty look. "Don't give us away next time!"

Alex scowled, but nodded. "Sorry. I'll do better in future… Harry," he declared.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

At a pre-arranged signal, Harry, Hermione, Alex, Charlotte, and Neville all burst into Professor Lupin's candlelit study at the same time. Five wands were swiftly pointed at their targets. The Weasley werewolves, now flanking the defenders of Hogwarts, bared their teeth, snarling.

"Hold it right there, everyone!" Harry spat.

The gathered Death Eaters and the House Elf were taken by surprise. Pansy Parkinson's eyes were wide with shock. The two next to her instinctively raised their wands – but they were halted in their tracks by the commanding tone of their leader.

"Wait! Redknapp, Draco – hold fast!" snapped Bellatrix.

The ginger-haired, cloaked man with Malfoy narrowed his eyes, but lowered his wand.

"The horrid Potter boy returns," Kreacher rasped. "I have been granted my freedom from you by a sock from my mistress! Now I serve who I chose!"

Kreacher blew a raspberry at Harry, who ignored him and locked eyes instead with the young man with the gelled ash-blond hair and haughty features – who, in turn, stared at Harry's party with an angry expression that slowly turned into a mocking, contemptuous sneer.

"So you fought your way through the Inferi! Don't think for a moment that you've won, Potter!" he hissed.

As Harry tried to think of a suitable remark with which to respond to Draco's taunt, Alex Greenway made his own anger felt.

"And don't think you'll never have to answer for Yasmin's death, Malfoy!"

Malfoy turned his attention to him, and narrowed his eyes as he stared at the colours on Alex's tie. He seemed to be surprised to be challenged by a fellow Slytherin. "Who the hell is Yasmin?" he snapped.

"My girlfriend! The lady you crushed to death by tumbling the library bookshelves over, on your last visit here! Remember that!"

"Oh, right…" Malfoy shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "She wasn't part of our cause. She just got in the way of our mission."

Alex's face muscles tightened at the young man's off-handed attitude, and he strode towards Malfoy. "You're going to regret what you've done…"

"No chance!" From underneath his dark robes, Malfoy quickly pulled out a black jet stone set within an amulet, which hung around his neck from a chain. A spark of reddish light suddenly shot from it, and struck Alex. He cried out, as he was hurtled back with force into Ron and Charlotte.

Pandemonium broke out. Redknapp fired the first spell – and Harry and company dived either way for cover. The spell struck the wall, shattering slivers of rock in various directions.

"This is for my parents, you wretch!" Neville yelled, finally dropping his dignified silence. Pulling out a small kitchen knife from his robes, he took careful aim - then threw it. It went spinning straight towards Bellatrix Lestrange.

She screamed and fired off a non-verbal protective spell. There was a blue flash as the blade struck the magical shield summoned. Then the knife bounced off, and – still spinning – struck another target on its way down, impaling him.

Kreacher shrieked and rolled across the floor with the impact. His eyes bulged at the sight of the handle protruding from his ribs.

Ron halted his advance as Malfoy swiftly called upon the power of his obsidian stone again, conjuring up a curtain of blue fire that divided Snape's former study – now Lupin's – into two halves. Ron and Ginny snarled at the meter-high flames, keeping their distance. Meanwhile, both parties were firing off spells at each other over and in-between the tips of the magical flames.

Malfoy cast forth a bolt of magic at Harry. He dodged aside, and it struck a cabinet nearby. The explosion sent Harry and the rest of his team off-balance, as they cried out in panic.

Charlotte was the first to recover.

"_Aquamenti!" _she shouted, letting loose a jet of water from her wand at the unearthly flames. The effect was like fighting a forest fire with a water pistol. Behind the roar of the flickering barrier, Harry and his allies could hear Bellatrix yelling. They strained their ears to listen.

"Kreacher!"

"Can't…move, mistress! Leave me…"

"My Lady – we need to move," an unfamiliar voice – Redknapp's evidently – was now saying. "Our back-up is coming! Your nephew's magic won't last for long…"

"All right, Redknapp! You and I will head for Salazar Slytherin's tunnel. Draco, Pansy – guard the Brollachan! And use it to summon another Inferious!"

"With pleasure, Aunt Bellatrix," Malfoy purred.

"Back-up?" Neville muttered.

"They're playing for time! We need to break through this barrier – now!" Alex yelled.

"Right," Harry agreed. He swept his head round to take in the faces of his worried companions. "Any ideas?"

"Yes…" Hermione looked uncertain. "I can think of a special spell which Professor Moody hasn't taught you yet… But the more people who cast it together at the same time, the greater the effect it'll have on that shielding spell. It will cancel out all human-cast magic in the room for several minutes. So we'll have to resort to other ways of fighting!"

"That's all right." Charlotte smiled and lowered her bespectacled gaze to Ron and Ginny, who were looking eager for action. "We've got two loaded werewolves."

"How come you know this spell, Hermione?" Harry asked, out of curiosity.

"I took on an extra teaching session with Professor Moody, during the last full moon," she admitted. "Whilst you and Ron were…otherwise engaged."

Harry nodded. "Just give us the word, and the signal, Hermione." He turned towards the rippling curtain of blue fire.

She whispered the magic word to the others. "On my mark of three," she breathed. "One. Two. Three. _Nullandvoida!"_

"_Nullandvoida!"_ Harry, Neville, and the Greenways cried out simultaneously.

Five blasts of black light struck the blue flames at the same time. There was a flash - and the shielding spell was suddenly extinguished.

They were just in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange framed in the outline of the opened secret door, as she spun round – astonished at the trick that the trainee Aurors and their comrades had pulled off.

Ron pounced and leapt across the study, his target being the Death Eater who was about to follow Bellatrix into the secret tunnel. Seeing the shifting shadow of the werewolf, the prey twisted round –screaming – as he raised his wand…

Ron's weight bore the man to the floor. In an instant his jaws were working at his enemy's throat, even as his fore claws slashed away at the chest below.

Within scant seconds, Redknapp was similarly colourful in more than just his name.

Bellatrix drew in her breath sharply. Then she saw the female wolf leaping towards _her_. With a hiss, The Dark Lady slammed the secret door to behind her disappearing figure.

Ginny crashed into a solid-looking portion of wall. With a howl, she fell upon the floor – dazed for the time being. She panted as she recovered her senses.

"Where's Malfoy and Pansy?" Harry spat. His questing eyes then saw the door to Professor Lupin's private rooms lying ajar…

There was a cackle from the bleeding, broken body of Kreacher in the middle of the study floor. He gazed up at Harry, and spoke in-between his wheezing coughs.

"Mistress will become the power…behind the NEW Headmistress of Hogwarts… Yes, she shall…"

"Shut up, you dirty traitor! People have _died_ because of what you and your 'mistress' have cast in motion!" Harry yelled at the pitiful-looking House Elf.

"Don't care… Only what my mistress – the Dark Lady – desires…is of importance…, Potter!"

"Listen!" Hermione held up her hand. Everyone fell silent.

A moan arose from nowhere, like the agony of a tormented spirit blowing on the wind. Suddenly, another Stone Inferious bulged out of the section of wall behind Harry, and attempted to ensnare him.

Neville's face turned white as he took in the rock-like face of the undead horror. It was that of a stern-looking, ageing woman.

"It's Madame Pince – the librarian!" he yelled.

"Harry – move!" Hermione pushed him out of the way of the advancing Inferious.

With a roar of malevolent hatred for the living, the Pince-Inferious swiped out with a stony arm. Hermione cried out as she was forcefully swept aside. She hit the floor, head-first, her temple gashed.

The others quickly raised their wands.

"_Aquamenti!"_

"_Incendrio!"_

Nothing happened. Their powerful counter-spell - which had no effect on the presence of the Inferious – was still working to prevent further spell casting in the vicinity of the study…

"Oh sh… Cobblers," Harry declared, in a small voice.

Kreacher sniggered. "Filthy Potter and his chums will die with Kreacher! Oh yes, they will…! Hehehehe…!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Hammer To Fall**

Before Harry – or anyone else – could formulate a plan of action, Ron had thrown himself into the action once more. Transforming in a matter of seconds into his half-wolf form, he clawed himself again, and allowed the blood from his forepaws to drip onto the Stone Inferious. However, the monstrosity – despite screaming at the mere touch of the crimson liquid – was doing its best to hold the Ron-werewolf back. Slowly, the Pince-Inferious was managing to strangle her werewolf opponent with her rocky hands.

Meanwhile, Alex and Charlotte had pulled Hermione to one side. She was groggy, but conscious.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, as he wondered what the hell to do. In desperation, he tried his wand again. No luck.

And pounding on Pince with our fists will achieve nothing. Except getting ourselves killed…

Ginny growled, and was about to rescue her brother, when there was a loud 'POP'. Dobby materialised on the shoulder of the Pince-Inferious, and immediately began blinding the wraith with quick flashing spells – his brand of magic evidently being immune from the neutralising spell the young wizards and witches had cast. And his actions were enabling Ron to break free of Pince's grip.

"Harry Potter, sir!" squeaked an agitated Dobby. "You must see to the wicked Malfoy boy and the monster he is guarding! That way Master Potter will save his wheezy!"

Suddenly, there was a rumbling noise that shook the room. A few books and ornaments fell off their shelves. Neville jumped back in alarm, yelling, as he jabbed down with his finger. Another Inferious was slowly rising from the stone floor – separating Harry and Ginny from Hermione, Neville, Alex, and Charlotte.

"Quick! Jump across, guys!" Harry shouted.

Alex shook his head. "You two get Malfoy! We'll be okay." He swept aside the contents of Professor Lupin's cluttered desk, and yelled for Charlotte to join him on top of it, which she soon did. Neville, for his part, helped Hermione over to the corridor doorway.

"Go, Harry!" Neville urged him.

Harry hesitated – then nodded, and swallowed the hard lump in his throat. Ignoring the groan of the second Inferious still emerging from the study floor, he led an eager Ginny over to the far side of the room, where the door that had been ajar earlier was now shut. It was also bolted to, Harry soon discovered.

"Blast!" Harry raised his wand again, but it was still not working.

A series of bone-crunching noises, plus the blurring of the wolf beside him assuming half-human form, told Harry that Ginny knew what to do.

"Alloww mee…, Har-ry." Ginny, now a wolf girl, rasped. There was, however, a growing look of unease on her furred, semi-human, face.

"Ginny…? What is it?" Harry whispered, worried by her expression.

"It is the nnight…that Trelawney…showed mee a vision of…" She flashed Harry a look of sorrow. Her yellow eyes stared straight into his green ones. Then the moment was gone, and Ginny slammed against the door with her lycanthropic might – and, after a few attempts, the door was sent flying off its hinges.

"Good girl!" Harry stroked Ginny's cranial fur, and they both stepped into Professor Lupin's lounge – then froze, shocked to the core by what they were seeing.

The room was dominated by the presence of a black, throbbing mass.

The dark centre of the creature was roughly shaped like an upright egg, and it was about the size of Hagrid – but its dozen or so tendril-like arms were extended in various directions, and the ends were apparently sunken into the ceiling and walls.

The skin of the horror rippled like oil, and two tiny, crimson eyes raised their gaze to regard the two intruders with silent animosity.

Harry's skin crawled with revulsion. A sensation of evil hit him, and he nearly gagged.

This must be the thing empowering the Inferi – what I sensed earlier. And Malfoy is controlling it via that Jet amulet – the Nightshadow – Harry reflected to himself.

Scattered around the floor of the wrecked lounge were the broken dark pieces of what looked like an eggshell.

The huge black egg Dobby had mentioned…, thought Harry.

"Ahh! Here at last, Potter!"

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, still clad in their Death Eater robes, were standing close by – wands at the ready.

"He's got a lady werewolf with him." Pansy smirked. "It's not Granger, so… It must be that Weasley girl! She's now a big doggy!"

Ginny growled and took another step forward.

"Drop your wands, or Ginny will rip your throats out!" Harry warned them. "Malfoy – get your toy to stop the Inferi from roaming. Permanently!"

The ends of Draco's lips turned down. "Worked it out, have you, Potter? Well…, think on this! Why should we stand down? Especially as one of our spies at the Ministry told me that my father was killed by a werewolf – and that there's a good chance your witch bitch here killed him!"

"I am…nnot…a bitch. I am…a she-werewwolf!" Ginny snarled, forcing her vocal cords to work. "But I…am a better hu-man…than you two…wwill ever bbe…!"

Malfoy gave a barking laugh, and raised his wand. "Ooh – I'm scared! Werewolves? They can eat fire! _Incendrio!"_

His wand, however, failed to act. Draco's face turned almost as pale as his hair.

Pansy shrieked as she too discovered that her wand was now useless. The two young Death Eaters looked at each other – uncertain what to do. And yes, they were now afraid.

Harry smirked, but now his senses were blazing. The black monstrosity was emitting a power that made the wolf in him raise its hackles. He wanted to change, to fight alongside Ginny – his wolf sister – and kill the young man before them, the one who had caused so much misery for him at Hogwarts…

"Surrender, Malfoy! This is your last chance!" Harry declared, making a determined effort to rein in his animal impulse – if only for a little longer…

"Make us!" Draco spat.

"Right! Watch them, Ginny." Harry put down his wand, and Ginny growled, drinking in the fear being emitted from the Death Eaters. Quickly, Harry undressed – dropping his clothes by the only door, then placing his spectacles on top.

Pansy started to laugh – but Malfoy narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Standing naked besides Ginny, Harry closed his eyes and called upon the change, imagining his skeleton reforming, his bare skin sprouting fur. Within a matter of seconds, thought became reality – and Harry grunted with the pain of the self-induced transformation. Suddenly, something clicked within him – and his body began to flow, with ease, into his half-wolf form. A rush of energy swept through him, even as the fur cloaked his body – from his reformed legs and emergent hind paws, to the top of his reshaped skull. The tension building up in his head was relieved as Harry's face grew out into a muzzle. His now-pointed ears twitched at the din of Pansy's screams – and the horror wafting from the two humans hit Harry's heightened senses like a furnace. The nostrils on his leathery nose flared. He licked his newly-grown fangs, and growled with relish.

Ginny snarled in unison, sharing his desire to end the evil present in the castle.

But before Harry's transformation was done – before either of them actually moved – Malfoy had clutched at the Jet pendant hanging from his neck. He spun round and yelled to the monstrosity present in the room.

"Brollachan! Kill them both – now!"

"No, Draco! We need it to sustain the Inferi…!" Pansy protested.

But it was too late. The Brollachan had withdrawn its tendrils from the walls, and – now free from its anchored position – started to roll forwards, like a swollen black ball of sticking putty. The tendrils shot out again from its core, aiming for the two humanoid werewolves.

_Watch out, Harry!_ Ginny communicated to him, via her howl.

Harry twisted aside, then sank his fangs into the black tendril. There was an inhuman cry from the Brollachan – and then both Harry and Ginny were fighting away with their collective fangs, claws, and were-creature strength – biting, slashing, and tearing against the black tendrils that shot out from the shape-changing mass of the horror, whipping around the two young werewolves, forcing them away from the Brollachan's central body. Its 'limbs' tried, without success, to strangle them.

Harry and Ginny howled in fury and frustration, as they came to realize that they were locked in a permanent stalemate.

In the minute of chaos that followed, Harry dimly heard Malfoy yell to Pansy. Then the blond-haired young man seized his companion's hand and dragged her along with him. They ducked and ran along the length of the room, as the Brollachan prevented the werewolves from intercepting them.

Within seconds, Malfoy and Pansy had escaped.

No! The others! And the secret passageway! Harry remembered.

But he had no opportunity to stop the Death Eaters. The Brollachan – lacking claws – was trying to bludgeon and suffocate its lycanthropic attackers with its myriad tendrils.

Does it react to our blood…, like the Inferi do?The thought came to Harry's mind as he fought on.

With care, he cut the edges of his forepaws with his claws – then, before the cuts could heal themselves, Harry pressed his bleeding wounds against the countless black limbs assailing him.

The glistening flesh of the Brollachan hissed as though touched by acid. The nightmarish horror actually bellowed.

Ginny was now using the same technique, and had managed to sever the tip of a tendril on the Brollachan. However, her wolfish grin faded as the limb swiftly grew again before her.

_It's like the Hydra re-growing two heads from a severed neck wound! _She yelped at Harry.

_Don't give up, Ginny! We must destroy this thing! Then the Inferi will die…_ "Agghh!" he snarled, as another tendril snaked around his neck.

Ginny's lupine eyes widened at his plight. She sank her fangs into her forepaws, and gripped the tendril with her blood-soaked, half-formed fingers. The limb hissed upon the touch of her fluids, and dissolved, freeing Harry.

But still they were battling against an untiring, seemly-unstoppable enemy. The Brollachan pulled back briefly, to allow itself to grow more tendrils – and the released werewolves were given a few precious moments to gulp for breath.

The respite would not last long.

Harry collapsed upon his knees and panted. _Can't…give…up… _He snarled. His leg had been crushed by the Brollachan's now-defeated grip. Thankfully, his bones and flesh were slowly healing…

_No, Harry. We can't. _Ginny reached out a bloodstained forepaw to stroke the dark fur on Harry's chest – then she gently tilted his chin upwards, forcing him to look her in the eyes. _I am sorry. This is the vision Professor Trelawney showed me, when she was__ channelled__ – that day you caught me crying and running away, _she said to him in their silent language. _One of us has to die…_

_What…! Our blood hurts it! We can kill it, Ginny!_

She tried to smile._ Yes, we can, Harry. But only by the loss of so much blood. And in the big scheme of things, you are more important than me. Even after Voldemort's death…_

_Ginny…? What do you mean? _Harry started to whine.

She nuzzled him, then nipped his ear. _I love you. I just wish we had longer…_

The Brollachan lashed out again, striking the nearest target – Ginny. She snarled and wrestled the tendril away from her neck – then she began to bite and slash herself furiously – working as fast as she could before the were-creature condition in her could reseal the injuries. Howling, Ginny leapt into the black, tangled mass of shapeless 'limbs', which hissed and slowly dissolved before her. Slowly, the she-werewolf was edging her way closer to the oval trunk of the Brollachan…

_Ginny! _Harry howled. Snarling, he rolled himself onto all fours and bit away at his forearms, determined to kill the monstrosity quickly. Before it was too late…

The next minute or so flashed by in a blur. Harry's mind was consumed only with the twin objectives of destroying their foe and saving Ginny. Saving his mate. The one who had gifted him with this form and nature that was better suited to tracking down and fighting their enemies. And now he bit, gnarled, and slashed out at the countless tendrils of the Brollachan – his black fur matted with blood from where he had cut himself…

His nose – then his eyes – alerted him to the presence of more blood. It was spreading out, in sluggish scarlet streams, from where Ginny had fallen – close to the hissing, blistering torso of the monstrosity…

Wailing with the grief of an injured animal, Harry pushed through the weakening tendrils and dived for the eyes of his shrieking opponent. His raised claws found their target and sank into the nearest of the Brollachan's eyes, piercing it as he collapsed upon his knees.

With a shrill cry that was painful to Harry's ears, the monster shuddered. Then there was another ghastly scream as the other eye was stabbed by the claws belonging to the russet-furred werewolf standing next to Harry. His heart lifted – then froze, in surprise, as he realized that his helper was male.

_Ron!_

The screams of the Brollachan were abruptly silenced. The dissolving limbs all fell still, and the fiend gradually disintegrated into smoking, sticky pools of foul-smelling, dark liquid.

Harry collapsed, drained by his exertions. Without any prompting, he found himself reverting to his human body. His skin itched as the fur disappeared into his pores, and his bones realigned themselves again so that he was a young man once more.

"Harry! Are you okay?" Ron had transformed back too – and was slapping his face, to revive him. Slowly, Harry's vision – bereft of his spectacles – changed from an almighty blur to the one he was more used to, in his human form.

"Ron…! Thanks…" he wheezed. "We…did it… Ginny! Where's…Ginny?"

"She's here." Ron was sobbing. The two of them, soaked with blood, were on their knees besides Ginny – who had also returned to her human shape. She was now lying sprawled across the hissing remains of their defeated foe.

Harry's eyes were wide with shock. Ginny was bleeding heavily from the numerous cuts she had inflicted upon herself. She had already lost too much blood.

He squeezed her limp hand. Ginny's eyelids fluttered, and she focused her dull, pained gaze on both her brother and chosen partner.

"Ron…, Harry… Don't cry… This was inevitable." Her voice was little more than a whisper. "We'll all be re-united, one day… Just promise me – both of you…that you'll allow yourselves to live long…and happy lives, first…"

Not knowing what else to do, Harry bent over Ginny's face and kissed her on the lips. His tears fell and ran across her cheeks. "Don't go, Ginny!" he choked. "I...I love you…"

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand back. "There is another…destined to look after you… When she admits her feelings for you, Harry…, don't be afraid to love her as much as you love me… Goodbye, Harry…, Ron… Tell our family I did my best…"

Her eyes closed. With a sigh, Ginny breathed her last and became still.

Harry spun round to face Ron. His friend's face was ashen white, as he searched desperately for a pulse, then he returned Harry's gaze. Ron could not hold back his tears.

"She's gone, Harry!"

"_Nooooooo!"_

Harry flung himself upon Ginny, and cried his heart out, as he buried his face against hers.

For how long he and Ron were slumped there, united in grief, Harry didn't know. The next thing he knew, both of them were being dragged away from the room by Professor Moody and Hagrid. Moody was shouting at them. Harry's ears didn't seem to be working – he couldn't hear what Mad Eye was yelling.

Suddenly, Alex was there too. He looked shaken, as he handed Harry back his spectacles.

Fingers trembling, Harry managed to put them on.

"…to get dressed! Now! We have to leave the school!" Moody barked.

Harry slowly regained his senses. He and Ron were covered in drying blood, but their cuts had now healed. And, of course, they were naked.

The Nullandvoida spell had evidently run its course, for Moody and Alex blasted Harry and Ron with water jet spells from their wands. Then Alex quickly fetched towels from Lupin's bathroom for the lads to dry themselves. Still feeling half-dazed, Harry managed to conjure a cleaning spell on his clothes, before getting dressed. As for Ron, Hagrid had thoughtfully brought along the young man's discarded clothes from the Great Hall.

"Hagrid… What are we…?" Harry trailed off, then started again. "The Brollachan's destroyed! The Inferi should have perished…"

"They have, lad." Hagrid looked uncomfortable as he patted both him and Ron. "You boys did great. Ginny too. An' I'm sorry that she didn't…didn't make it."

"She…sacrificed herself… For us all." Harry turned to stare at the awful scene before him, then he forced himself to turn away – feeling as if he was trapped in a nightmare. Wanting nothing more than to wake up.

"And it counted for sum'thing. The Inferi have all exploded into dust!" Hagrid's lips twitched up into a short-lived smile. "But them Death Eaters 'ave fallen back, an' brought along…their reinforcements."

"Hagrid! No time for talk. Let's go through that secret tunnel!" Moody impatiently slammed his staff on the wet floor.

Emerging into the study, Harry blinked. There was a pile of scattered earth on the stone floor – what was left of the Pince-Inferious. And still lying where he'd been struck by Neville's now-retrieved knife, was Kreacher. His eyes were wide, his mouth frozen in shock. He was now silent.

The unnatural angle of his neck told Harry that it had been broken.

Halfway up the wall above the remains of the Pince-Inferious, a pair of legs, and the hands, were protruding from the stonework. The rest of Dobby was buried in the wall. The last victim of the Inferi.

Harry gasped, but Hagrid held him steady.

The rest of the gathered party were mercifully alive, and were now staring at Harry and Ron in wonder.

Hermione ran over to Harry and Ron. The gash on her temple couldn't have been as bad as it first seemed, thought Harry. It had faded, and Hermione was alert and coherent.

"Ginny?" she whispered fearfully. Her eyes were taking in the expressions on both himself and Ron.

Ron shook his head, and held Hermione to him. She gave a gasp, but otherwise remained composed. "Oh, Ron…," she said, lips trembling.

Neville was sat in a chair, staring at the floor – face in his hands. Alex, meanwhile, had his arm around a pale-faced Charlotte.

Hagrid and Mad Eye gave them a few moments.

The silence was abruptly broken by a loud, thumping vibration that shook the furniture. Charlotte gave a yell as a framed magically-animated photo hanging on the wall next to her came crashing down. Another thump resounded through the walls, then another, and another.

"Right!" Moody glanced up at the ceiling, his face grim. "Let's move!"

Harry gave the bodies of Kreacher and Dobby a last glance, before departing with the others.

Harry couldn't remember much of what happened in the next few minutes. Professor Moody got the secret door opened, using the password learnt by Dobby – and all eight of them hurried along the long, dank tunnel that was lit only by their wands.

They emerged from a thicket of trees and bushes close to Hogsmeade – and, despite the chill of the dark November evening, the scene was chaotic. Pupils and Hogsmeade residents were running in various directions, panicking. Too many people were shouting at once – assaulting the keen hearing of Harry and Ron with a bewildering bombardment of noise. They were on a slight rise, and to the south they could see over the nearby school fence and the main gates.

"Oh, my god!" Charlotte Greenway cried out as she turned and saw what the source of the commotion and thumping was. She tightly held onto both Alex and Neville.

"The devils finally got them over here!" Neville spat.

Bashing away at the walls of Hogwarts with clubs were a pair of ten-metre high giants, clad in specially-made leather armour. And in the distance, emerging from the depths of the Forbidden Forest, were three – no four…, no, _six_ – trolls, also armed with crudely-made clubs, Harry witnessed. They glared down at the centaurs before them, who were firing a volley of arrows. One troll strode forward, and kicked at the nearest centaur – sending him rolling over, as he screamed. The next centaur, unable to escape in time, got crushed by another troll's club.

And in the air, circling above the castle, were at least six Dementors…

Ron gave a cry. "Professor Moody! We must do something!"

"We can do nothing more than implement your approved escape plan, Master Weasley! The senior pupils know what to do…" Moody curled his lips in grim fury. "Hogwarts has been lost! They've thrown more at us than we can take…"

"C'mon, yur lot. Let's move out of here!" Hagrid urged them. Harry saw his eyes watering.

There was an almighty cry from their left. Another troll was now emerging from the trees that bordered Hogsmeade. Raising its blunt weapon, the ugly invader turned and headed with some haste directly towards its new prey.

Harry, and the company with him…

"Quick! Everyone – get your wands ready!" Neville panicked, alerting the others to the oncoming menace.

"Wait! It's heading across the roped-off clearing!" Ron pointed out. "It'll…"

The grin on the troll's face suddenly vanished, as the grass within the rope barriers gave way underneath the huge creature. With a cry, it fell into a concealed pit trap. Several foot-long spiders were then consequently thrust into the air, out of the pit where they had been placed.

Before the troll could free its lower half from the pit, the spiders took objection to some of their brood being flattened – and began to swarm over the intruder, biting him repeatedly. The troll roared in anger and pain. Having lost grip of its club, it sluggishly swatted at the spiders using its massive hands.

"Go get 'im, lads and lasses!" Hagrid yelled, grinning.

"Well… At least one of our defences worked. Thank you, Master Weasley!" Mad Eye allowed himself a brief, hard smile. "Keep moving, all of you!"

Harry himself was still somewhat dazed. The smell of Ginny's blood was clinging to him – or so be believed.

In the course of the next few minutes, Moody and Hagrid left instructions with Hermione and Neville, the ones who seemed to be the most alert out of their party.

"Catch you later, 'arry – if I'm lucky. Alistor and me will try to save some of the young uns!" Hagrid hugged the young man, and Harry stirred from his trance-like state, as he gripped the half-giant's arm.

"Hagrid – don't go!" But the groundsman had slipped out of his grasp with ease, and soon vanished into the gloom of the night – the crowds of screaming pupils and the war cries of the trolls soon swallowing all sight and sound of both Hagrid and Moody.

"This way! Hurry!"

Hermione and Neville led their party through the open school gates and into the forest bordering the long drive that led to the school itself. Within moments they came across the first of the resident Thestrals – the four-legged beasts that acted as the carriage-pullers, transporting the pupils between the Hogwarts Express and the school. Normally, the magical creatures were invisible to the sight of humans – but everyone in the party had, by now, been witness to violent death, and so could see the bizarre-looking beings.

Luna Lovegood was there in the clearing. Along with a few other seventh-year pupils, she was helping to co-ordinate the crowd of fleeing pupils (some of whom could not see the Thestrals). Right now, each Thestral was being coaxed to wait until two precious lives were secured in place on its back – before the creature was allowed to take to the skies and steer itself to the rendezvous point it had been trained to head for, in case of an emergency.

"Harry! Hermione! Ron!" Luna looked relieved to see them, as they entered the clearing. Then her face fell, as she saw their distraught expressions. "Oh…"

Hermione hurried over to Luna and touched the younger girl's arm. "Luna… Ginny's dead! Can..., can our party join this queue for the Thestrals?"

"Ginny…? Dead…? Oh no…!" Luna looked horrified. Then she managed to snap herself out of her state of shock. "The Thestrals…? Yes… Yes – of course!"

"Harry Potter?" The familiar voice made Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Alex, Charlotte, and Luna all turn round.

The younger pupils around them took a few steps back, in wide-eyed amazement, as the centaur Firenze entered the clearing, his hooves _clip-clopping _on the hard, bare ground.

"Hi, Firenze." Harry managed a weak smile. "We don't get to see much of you, these days."

Suddenly, there was a sucking sound, and somebody apparated, close to Harry. He spun round, startled, just as Charlotte screamed. Alex hissed in anger, and reached for the wand tucked into his belt.

Harry recognised both of the newcomers. The elder of the two disengaged himself from the grip of the younger man, and reached for his wand. It was Walden Macnair – a Death Eater, who had escaped from Azkaban Prison, along with Draco Malfoy's father.

The other intruder was Draco himself.

"Don't leave yet, Potter! With this toy, I can even reach you here!" Malfoy was holding the Jet amulet – the Nightshadow – aloft. An electric-like field of energy was fired from it, before anyone could protect themselves. The magical discharge slammed into Harry. He was thrown to the ground, screaming, as the energy struck him in the chest. A crackling arc licked at his face, scorching his nose.

"No!" Firenze yelled angrily. Acting on reflex, he pulled himself back onto his rear legs, and lashed out at the Death Eaters.

Malfoy saw the danger in time, and disappeared with a flash. But Macnair gave a yell as the centaur's fore hoof struck him on the head. The former Ministry employee went flying into a tree. A moment later, he slid down the bark and did not stir.

For a moment nobody dared to move. Then Neville bravely ran over to Macnair and examined him. He looked up at Firenze. "He's dead. Thanks, Firenze – that's another blackheart down!"

The centaur bowed his head solemnly. "I wish his death could have been avoided. But our enemies do not value life as we do," he responded, sighing.

Meanwhile, Luna, Hermione, and Ron helped Harry up.

"Are you alright, mate?" Ron breathed.

"Yeah… Just feel as though…I've been shocked…," Harry groaned.

"That amulet must be powerful for Malfoy to apparate within the grounds of Hogwarts! And for him to bring Macnair here, too…" Hermione pointed out, her lip trembling.

Harry tried to walk, but stumbled. His friends caught him.

"Can you move now, Harry?" Luna asked anxiously, after a long moment.

He nodded and took a few steps without further mishap. "I can't smell anything, though… Why aren't I dead?"

"You are a werewolf, young Mr Potter." Firenze trotted forward and whispered the words, so that the agitated pupils in the background could not hear him. "You too are a creature of the supernatural and fabulous realms, like centaurs and many others. You are stronger than you realise."

Harry's low voice was full of regret as he replied. "I wish Ginny had been stronger too, then! She was a werewolf, as well – and now she's dead!"

Firenze was taken aback, and he paced restlessly on the spot. He was silent for a moment, then he spoke. "Come, Harry! Climb on me – before Draco returns. I am sorry to hear of your loss – but right now, my priority is your life! And I can take one more."

Hermione looked at Ron. He paused, then nodded back.

"I'll be alright with the others, 'Mione! We'll wait for the Thestrals. You look after Harry. Besides…," He managed to smile. "I know you hate flying!"

"Too true!" Hermione's hand touched Ron's and held it briefly. Then, with a forlorn glance, she parted. She followed Harry, climbing onto Firenze's back, as the latter lowered himself to the ground. They held on tight – Hermione onto Harry's shoulders, and he in turn onto the centaur's mane on his human-like back.

Harry took a final glimpse of Hogwarts Castle in the near-distance, as Firenze rose and started to move out of the clearing. The other pupils, looking amazed and jealous of the centaur's passengers at the same time, quickly moved aside to allow him to increase his pace…

The trolls had now reached the perimeter of the school, Harry and Hermione observed. Whilst the giants continued to bash away at the walls, the trolls slammed their clubs to the ground, flattening any pupils they could catch. The Dementors too, were now on the offensive, and sucking out the life-force of anyone unlucky enough to be caught by them. Screams rang out from a pupil as she was set upon – her cries mingling with countless others echoing across the field of battle. Then the girl, too far away for anyone to help her, dropped lifelessly to the ground between the Dementors who had absorbed her energies.

Hermione gasped, and wept. She clung tighter to Harry.

There was a sudden flash of green light in the sky above the school. With a ghastly cry, the magical force formed itself in a matter of seconds into a vaporous skull with the shape of a serpent emerging from its open mouth.

The Dark Mark. The sorcery signature of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eater supporters. Cast to announce their victory in creating anarchy and death.

The sight of the whole scene before him sickened Harry to his very core – and despite his injuries and fatigue, he growled through his teeth.

"Let's get out of here, Firenze," he spat.

The centaur, too, had taken in what Harry and Hermione had seen. "Do not despair too much, my friends. We will return!" And with that, he turned and gathered speed – first cantering out of the forest, then galloping along the driveway and through the open gates. The pupils who were racing for their lives away from Hogwarts, dived aside to avoid the hooves of the centaur teacher.

You will regret what you have done, Malfoy, Harry swore to himself. You and all of the other Death Eaters. This isn't the end of it…

"Firenze is right, Harry." Hermione was crying as she made herself heard over the noise of the centaur's gallop. But her tone was defiant. "We will be back!"

Harry nodded grimly as he saw the night-shrouded landscape flash by them. "Yes, we will – Hermione," he agreed. "And we're going to fight to reclaim Hogwarts. Even if it takes the last breath in my body, I'm going to see that the school becomes ours once more! And as for Malfoy…"

"What about him?" Hermione sniffed, as she tried to blink aside her tears.

"Malfoy had better start digging his own grave!" Harry snarled. "One way or another, I'm going to see him dead!"

END OF PART ONE

(Please provide well-rounded feedback - and tell me what you think will happen in Part Two, which will start to appear in June 2010!)


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